


Supernova

by fanfics_she_wrote



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Everybody Lives, Gen, I love all the avengers but they also dumbasses, The Author Regrets Nothing, Valerie is my child and I love her but she a dumbass, endgame made me sad so I wrote another book, marvel done US wrong, marvel done me wrong, runs from Avengers(2012) to Avengers:Endgame, with a little Thor(2011) scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-03-27 15:18:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 85,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19015540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanfics_she_wrote/pseuds/fanfics_she_wrote
Summary: the au where Thor drags a kid from deep space who has family issues and adopts superheroes and is so focused on saving her family she saves the day too nbd----------Valerie had always been an odd little girl, ever since they'd come to know her. Everything about her was odd, from her sudden arrival to her playing favourites among the Avengers.They found her when she was eight. They've raised her ever since. Born mortal and without superpowers or a gifted brain, Valerie thieved and learned the skills of those around her until she somehow ended up campaigning for Earth's Best Defender.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about this really long wait everyone, but Supernova has finally come to the Archive!! Please be nice to my ego daughter ~~I'm~~ she's sensitive.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not her mom! I’m not even _a_ mom!”

To Valerie, everyone was family.

To everyone else, Valerie was a total stranger.

Valerie didn’t always go by Valerie. 

They had first found her in the year 2011, when she had come flying into Thor's arms as the God of Thunder summoned his mighty hammer. Well, actually, she had overshot the unconscious Thor by miles and had landed roughly in the dirt. They quickly discovered that her hand was caught in the strap of the hammer. Jane Foster was the one who picked the eight-year-old up and held her close while Thor battled the destroyer -- a monstrous machine with the ability to breathe fire -- sent by his younger brother, Loki.

When Thor and the Warriors Three stood waiting for Heimdall -- the all-seeing and all-hearing Guardian of the Bifrost, the rainbow bridge connecting the realms of the universe -- Jane wanted to speak to Thor, so she dumped the child in Darcy's arms. Darcy Lewis wanted to follow Jane, so she passed the child to the nearest person -- who happened to be Phil Coulson. The little girl stared up at him with bright blue eyes. She smiled. 

“Papa?”

Phil stared for a second before realising she was calling _him_ ‘Papa’, not looking for her father. “No.”

“Papa!” 

“No!”

She laughed and clapped her hands. “Papa!”

Phil sighed. “No…”

“Know this, Son of Coul,” Thor said, addressing the Shield agent. “You and I, we fight for the same cause – the protection of this world. From this day forward, count me as your ally.” He paused, glancing at Jane. “If you return the items you have stolen from Jane Foster.”

“Not stolen,” Phil corrected, shifting the child he carried to his left side. “Borrowed.”

Jane shot him a glare and he quickly continued on. 

“You’ll get your equipment back. You’re going to need it to continue your research…which, after today’s events,” Phil gestured around with his free hand at the destruction, a result of Thor’s battle against the destroyer, “Shield would like to fully sponsor – if that’s alright with you?”

Jane nodded.

The child turned to watch Thor bid Jane farewell. 

“Papa?” she said, looking at Phil for confirmation. Valerie was sure the big man with pretty hair looked like he gave good hugs. He could surely be her Papa if Phil kept saying no, right?

“No, he’s not your dad either."

“Papa!"

“Thor,” Phil told her.

“Papa Thor!” She smiled, proud of herself.

“No,” Phil said, sighing defeatedly.

The child assumed she had upset Phil. Pouting and ready to begin crying, she dropped her chin to her chest.

Thor broke away from Jane and walked over to the pair. Smiling, he lifted her chin.

“You have the stars in your head, little one,” he said softly, “but you belong _here_."

She stared at Thor, watery eyes sparkling.

“Papa Thor is leaving?”

“I am not your father,” Thor said. 

He smiled at her one more time before turning away. 

She buried her head under Phil’s chin as Thor and the Asgardians were enveloped by the Bifrost. When she lifted her head again, they were gone. 

She looked up at Phil. “Papa Thor has to come visit again,” she said, “right?”

“Er…who are you?”

“I’m Papa Thor’s favourite!”

"Right, well, where did you come from?”

She frowned. 

“I came with Papa Thor. You’re Papa’s friend, you have to watch me until he gets back.”

“I’m not – wait, but…”

The child laughed. “Yes, you are, Papa!”

“My name is _Coulson_."

“Papa Coulson _loves_ me!” 

Phil frowned at her. He looked up, to ask Selvig, Jane or Darcy if they knew the child, but they’d vanished. 

“ _Bastards_ ,” he whispered in disbelief.

“What’s a bastard, Papa?”

Coulson sighed. 

* * *

Hours later, Nick Fury stared in disbelief at the little girl sitting on his desk. Nick was a sturdy and stoic man, the kind that looked like he drank liquidised coffee beans and avoided happy endings. He always carried himself well, portraying the image of a man who knew exactly what was going on and where it was going on. Never in his life had he been as surprised as he was now. He stared and he stared and he stared. He still hadn’t moved from when he stood up -- when Phil first entered the office with the child.

Phil himself was beginning to worry. He’d never seen a slack-jawed Nick Fury before. Come to think of it, he’d never been in the presence of a speechless Nick Fury either. Part of his expected Nick to at least move away from the desk completely but no, Nick was too stunned to even do that. 

“Who is this small person?”

The ‘small person’ in question sat comfortably on the table, scratching on a page with one of Nick’s pens. After a second or two longer, she dropped the pen and stood up, walking to the edge of the table to see Nick a little closer. Reflexively, Nick reached out and grabbed her before she fell to the floor. She giggled as he set her back on the desk.

“Papa!”

“She does that,” Phil said, tired.

“To _who_?” Nick cried.

“Me. Thor. Now you. She called Hill ‘Mama’ on the way here. I still have no idea who she is or where she came from.”

“Well, find out and send her back. Shield doesn’t babysit!” He looked at the child. “I’m not your ‘papa’, little miss, I’m Director Fury.”

She tapped his nose with a green pen.

“Papa Fury,” she said, frowning and puffing out her cheeks. “I’m Baby Fury!”

Without knocking, Clint flew into the office. 

“Sir! There was a kid on site and she vanished when the hammer took off. I looked all over – hey, there she is.”

The child, who had turned around at the sound of Clint’s voice, grinned widely. She glanced back at Nick. 

“That’s Papa Hawkie. He’s like a bird, but not really.”

“You too, huh?” Phil mumbled, dragging his hand over his face.

“I thought one of you might know who she is,” Clint said, shrugging.

Nick took a deep breath. “Well, one of you _find out_!"

“Papa Fury’s in a fury,” she observed, slowly sitting down next to the keyboard. She watched him carefully.

“I am _not_ your father,” he told her sternly.

She pouted. “Did Nova make Papa Fury mad? Am I bad? I made Papa angry.”

“Nova,” Nick repeated, slowly sitting down in his chair. “Is that your name?”

She shrugged. “I guess so.”

Nick Fury could claim that he was just a stone leader of an intelligence agency until he was blue in the face but everyone in the room knew the child had gotten through to some kind of a heart. She turned to look behind her.

"Nova made Papa Coulson angry?"

Phil wasn’t sure how to respond.

Her crystal eyes welled with tears as she turned to Clint. “Is Papa Hawks angry?"

Nick was the one to break the silence before she began to sob.

“No, you are not a bad person. We love you. We’re not angry, _are we_?"

“We do?” Clint mouthed to Phil, whose scrunched-up nose and furrowed eyebrows said exactly the same. 

When the child turned back to Clint and Phil, Nick shot them a glare that would melt the Casket of Ancient Winters. Both hurriedly assured the grinning girl that they were neither angry nor was she a bad person.

She gasped and her eyes widened as she turned to Nick. 

“Is Mamaria angry with me?”

“Ma – mama what?”

“Mamaria,” she repeated, “Like Mama Maria but shorter. Duh.”

“Duh,” Nick echoed softly before smiling, “obviously not, little miss.”

Maria Hill was _not_ pleased with the sudden arrangement. Coulson had fled as soon as he informed Maria that Nick had decided to keep the child as Shield’s little starry-eyed angel.

Months went by and things were great. The four of them kept her their little secret, away from the eyes of the agents and away from the violence Shield had the potential to be. All was well – until an agent with fiery hair tripped over her one day.

Natasha Romanoff was surprised, to say the least, to discover that she had tripped over a child.

She smiled up at Natasha. “Hi! My name’s Nova.”

“Valerie!” Nick shouted from somewhere in the room. “Your name is _Valerie_."

“Papa doesn’t like my name,” she told Natasha, rolling her eyes. She studied the weirded-out look on Natasha’s face and grinned. “Mama!”

“ _Excuse me_?”

Nick bumped his head on the top of the desk. “Agent Romanoff. Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

“What is this?”

“This is … our child.”

“And who is ‘ _our’_ , Nick?”

“Sssssss…Shield?”

“Nick…”

“Okay but tell me you don’t immediately feel the need to look after and protect her! She’s got this manipulative streak or something.”

“She looks _five_ , Nick.”

“I’m almost _nine_ , Mama!”

“Okay, kid, I am not your mother. My name is Natasha, got it?”

“Mama,” Valerie said, standing up and folding her arms.

“Nat,” Natasha argued.

“That doesn’t work,” Nick said, “she thinks everyone is her parent. Hill tried for weeks. She eventually gave in and let the kid call her Mamaria.”

“I’m not her mom! I’m not even _a_ mom!”

“Mama Nat’s being mean!” Valerie cried to Nick, pointing up at Natasha.

“And another thing,” Natasha said, ignoring Valerie, “you said her name is Valerie. She told me it’s Nova.”

“Yeah, well, what do you expect when you send Barton on a simple task to get a forged birth certificate?”

Natasha hesitated on her next question regarding where Valerie came from. 

“What’s her last name then?”

“Barton. The man can remember complex physics and how wind patterns affect arrow paths, but he can’t remember four-letter first and last names.”

“Wait,” Natasha said, quickly running through the last names she knew that had four letters and who they belonged to, “you were going to let her legal name be Nova Fury?”

Nick shrugged. “What did you come for, Agent Romanoff?”

“Mama came to play with Nova,” Valerie said, holding out a stapler.

“Why is she playing with a stapler?”

“It’s empty – and your name is Valerie, little miss.”

“My name is Nova,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Nick.

“Valerie.”

“Nova!”

“ _Valerie_!” 

“You’re a shit-face.”

Nick’s surprised expression was the most amusing thing Natasha had seen all week. 

“Who taught you that?”

“Papa Hawkie.”

Natasha frowned. “Is that…?”

“Barton,” Nick said, nodding as he swiftly regained composure, “you said you wanted something?”

“Yeah, uh . . . oh, I’m going to head out to Russia soon for that –” Natasha glanced at the young girl before choosing words that gave away nothing about what she spoke of, “— _assignment_ we were talking about.”

“Good. Everything ready?”

Natasha nodded.

“Still got Barton on Tesseract duty?”

Nick nodded.

“It’s his punishment for changing her name.”

“Wow, you hold a grudge.”

“When it’s my daughter we’re talking about, I most certainly do.”

Natasha shook her head in amazement.

“This is so strange. I’ve never seen you attached to _anything_.”

“As I said, she’s manipulative. Like you.”

Valerie wrapped her arms around Natasha’s thighs. 

“Mama’s leaving?”

Nick raised his eyebrows and waited. With a defeated sigh, Natasha pushed Valerie back and knelt down to her height. 

“It’ll only be for a little while. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Promise?”

“Yup.”

“And you promise you’ll come back alive? Mamaria says some of the agents go on very dangerous missions.”

“I promise to come back alive and well. Can I go now?”

“Okay,” Valerie said, going back to the stapler. “Wait!” she cried when Natasha started to get up. She grabbed Natasha’s arm and pulled her back down with surprising force. She planted a kiss on Natasha’s cheek. “Now you’ll be safe on your mission. You can leave now.”

“Grows on you,” Nick said as Natasha stood up. “Doesn’t she?”

“Shut up,” Natasha said in response to Nick’s smug grin.

* * *

It was quite some time before trouble stirred up. Valerie had finally accepted her change in name, but she still gave Clint a funny look every time he used it, having finally understood that the change was his fault.

In all the time she’d known Nick, he had never once looked scary to Valerie. But he did now, when he told her to stay near and stay hidden. She watched from behind the damage as a frightening man in green tapped her Papa Hawkie’s chest with a sceptre. Clint’s eyes flashed a brilliant blue and he was suddenly taking orders from the stranger. Valerie watched Nick place the Tesseract into a briefcase and pick it up, intending to leave.

A scuffle later, the briefcase fell and slid towards her. She opened it. Curiosity overtook her and she picked up the ice blue cube.

“Valerie, no!”

She looked up at Fury, not understanding the fear and anger in his voice. Clint advanced towards her, and she didn’t understand why he didn’t have that old playful smile on his face.

“Val, let go of the cube,” Clint said. 

Valerie’s eyes flicked between Nick, Clint, and the stranger. She had never felt so afraid before. The sclera of her eyes flashed the colour of the cube she held, irises dark as the night sky.

And just like that, a portal opened up behind her and she vanished.

The God of mischief, Loki, nearly drove his sceptre into the ground.

“FIND THE GIRL!” he roared.

Nick reached for his gun and took aim at the Asgardian. It did nothing to slow Loki down. As he left with his new recruits, the building began to give way due to Loki’s uncontrolled portal. Nick did his best to stop Loki, going as far as to chase him with a helicopter. Loki aimed his sceptre at the chopper and fired a blast. Nick just managed to escape the crashing vehicle.

" _Director_?”

His radio crackled with Coulson’s voice. He pulled it from his belt and raised it to his mouth. 

“Barton and Selvig have been turned. I have men down. Hill?”

“ _A lot of men still under. Don’t know how many survivors."_

“Valerie vanished with the Tesseract."

" _She_ what?” Hill asked.

" _How do we find her_?” Coulson asked.

“Sound a general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for my daughter or the bastard that wants to find her.”

" _Roger that_ ,” Hill said.

“Coulson, get back to base. This is a level seven. As of right now . . . we are at war.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Valerie fell on her behind as soon as the Tesseract transported her away from Shield. She looked around her in fear for a minute before her eyes fell on someone she recognised from tons of photos and footage. “Papa 'Merica!”

Steve Rogers didn’t know what shocked him more; a little girl holding a cube that had once been Hydra’s secret weapon, or the fact that the little girl holding the cube that had been Hydra’s secret weapon had called him Papa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I mentioned sequels but this was written side by side with The Winter and his Soldier, and as I write the Infinity War chapters, I have decided to begin uploading. 
> 
> Pls be kind to the kid, she's me


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You should go for your mission. Papa Fury only gives good agents a mission, and only when he needs to."

Phil glanced at video footage of Budapest as he spoke on the phone. "Oh, and one more thing."

" _What_?" Natasha asked.

"Valerie’s missing, so hurry up with Banner and we can get all hands on deck looking for the Tesseract and Barton."

" _Aren’t we supposed to be a little more invested in finding_ Valerie?"

"Valerie vanished with the Tesseract. We find the cube; we find our daughter."

" _I'll bring the doctor_ ," Natasha promised.

* * *

"You should have left it in the ocean," Steve said darkly as he left Nick alone in the gym, punching bag over his shoulder.

He opened the door to his apartment slowly. "Valerie? You still here?"

"Papa 'Merica!" the little girl squealed, rushing to latch her arms around his legs. She smiled up at him brightly and Steve couldn't help smiling back as he ruffled her hair.

Despite the clear attraction he felt to the child, to protect and love and care for her, Steve still couldn't quite wrap his head around her. He closed and locked the door, laying the bag against it. He had no idea what the real reason for that was. It wasn't as if he didn't know how to put any potential intruders in their place. He moved to the couch and sat down, pulling the folder on the coffee table closer. "See this?" he asked Valerie, opening the folder and pointing to a photo of the cube. He'd had her put the real cube into a small box. "Where did you get it?"

"That strange evil douche came to hurt Papa Fury and Papa Hawks. He wanted the glowing box. Papa Fury tried to hide it. The evil douche turned Papa Hawks angry."

"And how did you get here by me?" After the first hour of knowing Valerie, Steve had given up trying to understand who her father actually was. He just went with whatever she said now. He had also given up trying to comprehend how and why she knew very insulting and very vulgar words. Thankfully, she'd stopped calling Loki an evil dick-face.

Valerie shrugged. "I picked it up. Papa fury told me not to but I knew we had to hide it from the evil douche. I was looking at Papa Hawks and then BOOM! I was looking at Papa 'Merica."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

Valerie laughed. "Because it's your name! Duh!"

"Who's your father?" Steve tried again, just in case she had an answer.

Valerie frowned as she thought. "I have seventy-hundred-two dads."

Steve nodded. "Right. Of course. Let's stick to questions where you give me answers I can understand, hm? So, you used the Tesseract to get her?"

Valerie nodded. Her gaze fell on the folder. "What's that?"

"Uh . . . a mission."

Valerie leaned over Steve's knee to move the pages around. "Mama Nat went on a mission. She said she'll be back soon."

"And how many _mothers_ do you have?" Steve muttered to himself.

"Three," Valerie answered, still playing with the folder. "For now."

Steve was surprised at the relatively normal answer, but he didn't comment. The added bit worried him slightly, but he figured Valerie taking on new motherly figures wasn't his problem. "Valerie, won't everyone at shield be looking for you?"

Valerie glanced back and nodded at Steve. "But I'm safe with Papa 'Merica, right?"

"Right," Steve said, nodding back, "so, is there anything else you can tell me about the Tesseract, little genius?"

"Nope. But you should go for your mission. Papa Fury only gives good agents a mission, and only when he needs to. He probably needs Papa 'Merica's help."

"Probably. Tell me, Valerie, he's not going to be furious when he finds out you were with me this whole time, is he?"

"Maybe with you," Valerie said, shrugging. "Papa Fury's never mad at me for long."

"What a relief," Steve muttered sarcastically.

Valerie laughed. She moved into the couch until she was nearly squished between Steve and the cushions. She lay her head down on Steve's knee and decided that was where she was going to sleep. "Night, Papa 'Merica."

Steve didn't even notice he'd begun to play with her dark hair as he studied the folder. "Night, Valerie." 

* * *

Valerie giggled non-stop as Phil squeezed her tight, planting repeated kisses on her cheeks, her forehead and her nose. "It tickles, papa!"

"Where have you _been_!"

"Papa 'Merica looked after me."

Phile picked Valerie up and looked at Steve. "Captain. Er, thank you?"

Steve nodded. "You might wanna hold on to this," he said, passing Phil a small box.

"Is that. . ."

"Yeah. It's how she got here."

Phil looked at Valerie. "Do you have any idea how worried you made us? Hmm? We've spent ninety percent of our time looking for _you_."

"Papa's upset," Valerie said, looking down at Phil's tie instead of his face.

The Shield agent sighed. "No, Valerie. I'm happy to see you safe. Come on, let's get to the jet."

Before launching into what a fan he was of Captain America, Phil buckled Valerie up and called the director to let him know their daughter was safe and sound. 

* * *

"The Chitauri grow restless."

"Let them goad themselves," Loki said, "I will lead them in a glorious battle."

"Battle? Against the meagre might of Earth?"

"Glorious, not lengthy," Loki stated, " _if_ your force is as formidable as you claim."

Loki's words tickled the rage of the creature he spoke to. "You question us? You question him? He who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose? When you were cast out -- defeated!

"I was a king!" Loki cried. "The rightful king of Asgard, betrayed."

"Your ambition is little, full of childish need. We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."

"You don’t have the Tesseract yet."

The Chitauri creature lunged at Loki. "Neither do you," it hissed, "you lost unlimited power to a child. A _mortal, powerless_ _child_. I don’t threaten. But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words."

"I will regain the Tesseract."

"Regain? You never had it in the first place! It vanished from right within your grasp. You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice, where he cannot find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain."

Knocked back into reality, Loki took a few calming breaths before looking out at his workers. His glare hardened and he resolved to find the child. 

* * *

Natasha was speaking to Steve about Phil's vintage trading cards when she noticed something behind the captain. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

Natasha ignored Steve and walked up to the jet he had just exited. "Oh my God, Valerie?!"

"Hi, mama."

"What are you still doing in here?"

"Papa 'Merica gave me a toy. I don't know how it works."

Natasha crouches down to look at the object Valerie turned over in her hands. "That's not a toy, _zvezda_ ," she said softly, taking the compass out of the child's hands.

Valerie took it back. "Papa 'Merica gave it to me," she said, holding it close to her chest. "He said I had to keep it safe."

Natasha could just see the image of Peggy Carter between Valerie's thin fingers. "Okay. Let's get you inside. Nick will be happy to see you safe and sound."

Valerie didn't stand up. Instead, she raised her arms and waited for Natasha to pick her up. When she exited the jet, she noticed Bruce and Steve talking. Bruce noticed them first.

"Is it really wise to have a child amidst . . . all this?"

Natasha shrugged. "She's growing up around ' _all this_ '. She doesn't know any different."

Valerie stared at Bruce. "Hi, I'm Valerie."

"Hi," Bruce said, smiling. "I'm Bruce Banner."

Recognition flashed across Valerie's face as she finally placed his amongst the records Nick kept in a secure folder called the Avengers Initiative. "Papa Hulk!"

Natasha looked everywhere except at the two men. "I didn't teach her that," she said.

Valerie fidgeted in Natasha's arms until the woman set her down. She walked up to Bruce and gestured for him to come down to her height. Still confused, he obeyed. Valerie gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Papa Hulk's gonna love me," she whispered in a sing-song voice, smiling sweetly and innocently.

Steve, despite the situation, sputtered out half a laugh. "Sorry," he said when Bruce shot him a funny look, "sorry, it's just -- that's the same thing she did to me."

"Who is this again?" Bruce asked, directing the question at Natasha.

"Our daughter," she eventually decided.

"Who, specifically, is ' _our_ ', Miss Romanoff?"

Steve folded his arms and turned to Natasha. He wanted to know the answer to that question too.

Natasha shrugged. "Everyone. You may want to step inside, it's going to get a little hard to breathe." Leaving the two men to marvel over the Helicarrier, Natasha picked Valerie up and carried her inside to Nick.

Deep within the carrier, Nick Fury stood behind a table in a secluded room and studied the Tesseract, now in its briefcase. "Look who I found on the jet," Natasha said as she walked in.

"Papa!"

Nick picked Valerie up when she was close enough. "Didn't I tell you to stay hidden?"

Valerie nodded.

"Then why did you pick up the cube?"

"The evil man was gonna take it. It's important to Papa. I wanted to hide it with me."

Nick sighed. "So, you know how to use this . . . doorway, huh?"

Valerie shook her head. "I didn't do anything. I was looking at Papa Hawks, and then I was with Papa 'Merica. I didn't do anything."

"I believe you, Valerie," Nick said softly.

"Nick."

"Hm?"

Natasha shrugged. "We have the cube now and Banner was only supposed to be here to track and find it. Do we still really need him on board? I'm getting the feeling he'd really rather be back in Calcutta."

"I'm beginning to wonder if we can't use the cube to locate Loki's sceptre, thereby locating the bastard himself."

"Ask him and find out, I guess." 

* * *

As it turned out, it was much easier to locate the Asgardian prince by means of facial recognition. He wasn't even trying to hide. Bruce was tasked with babysitting while Natasha and Steve took to Germany.

"When's Papa 'Merica coming back?"

"Soon," Bruce replied absently.

"And Mama Nat?"

"She'll be back."

Valerie slid off her chair and walked to the Tesseract that sat on the table. "What's papa doing?"

"I'm trying to find Loki," Bruce said, hoping that answer would satisfy Valerie. He had actually been tasked with locating Shield's missing agent, but given the attachment Valerie evidently had to some of Shield's personnel, Bruce thought it might be safest if he did not mention her missing 'Papa Hawks'.

"The evil man?"

"That's the one."

"Papa needs help," Valerie said after a moment.

"Who, Agent Coulson?" Bruce asked, hoping he wouldn't have to figure out how to stop her from trying to leave the carrier.

Valerie shook her head. "Papa needs help," she said again.

" _I_ could use a little help," Bruce said, hoping to distract Valerie from whatever was troubling her. "Do you want to -- NO, DON'T TOUCH-- _shit_."

Reluctantly, Bruce pressed a button on the corner of the table, tapping into Nick's frequency. "They're gone."

" _Who_?" Nick asked from somewhere else on the aircraft.

"Valerie and the Tesseract."

" _Locate it and her or_ _I'll_ _drop you in the ocean_." 

* * *

Bruce didn't have to look for very long. Over in Germany, the Tesseract fell from the sky and hit Loki on the head. While everyone looked up, Loki sent the cube away.

"What the hell was that?" Tony Stark asked, looking around.

"The Tesseract," Natasha answered from the jet she had just landed. "The only person we know that can use it for transportation is --"

"Valerie!" Steve yelled, having noticed the falling child.

Despite having just met Tony -- and taking an instant dislike to the blatant cockiness radiating off the younger man -- Steve turned to him. "Throw me."

" _What_?"

"Throw me at Valerie, or Fury's gonna kill us all."

"Who the hell is Valerie?"

"Just throw the Captain, Stark, _goddamnit_!"

"Okay! Jarvis, gimme some juice."

Steve managed to snatch Valerie out of the air, hiding her between himself and the shield. They hit the building that had been hosting the gala with a thud, leaving a fairly large crater of sorts in the side of the building.

"Steve?" Natasha called, exiting the jet and coming to stand with Tony. "Steve, do you read me?"

There was a faint grunt on their frequency.

"Watch his highness," Tony told Natasha, leaving her to guard Loki while he headed to the damage Steve had caused.

"Cap? Still alive?" Tony moved a few stones off the large pile. "Hey, Capsicle, do you read me?"

"Ugh, shut up," Steve grumbled, his ears still ringing from the impact.

Tony eventually found Steve under a pile of rocks, surrounded by the shattered windows. He quickly moved them off and looked around for this Valerie that they were all so worried about.

Then Steve lifted the shield.

"Oh."

"Is Valerie okay?" Natasha asked. "Stark, is Valerie okay?"

"Jarvis, read vitals," Tony said, kneeling next to Steve. "She's fine," he said a moment later, "just out for the count."

Steve let out a relieved sigh, dropping his shield. Gently, Tony picked Valerie up before offering Steve a hand up.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't like Papa Stark so much."

Loki hadn't stopped staring at Valerie as she rested, eyes half-closed, on the bench across him. It was beginning to annoy Steve and he wasn't even sure why.

"Would you quit staring at the child?" Tony asked, "it's creeping Capsicle out."

Loki raised his eyebrows and looked at the pair. "Does it not concern you that she has mastered the Tesseract?"

"No," Steve said sharply, "what concerns me is what _you_ did with it."

"I've sent it off. I know not where."

"So, Cap, who's the girl?" Tony asked, trying to turn Steve's attention off Loki for a minute. "Yours?"

Steve shook his head.

"Ours," Natasha said from the cockpit.

" _Ours_?" Tony repeated.

"Shield's."

" _Shield's_?!"

"Is there an echo up here?" Loki drawled, rolling his eyes. His annoyance faded when a flash of lightning lit up the sky, and a low rumble of thunder followed.

"Where's _this_ coming from?" Natasha murmured.

"Scared of a little lighting?" Steve asked, noticing the look on Loki's face.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Unnoticed, Valerie woke up. She was sitting up by the time Thor hijacked Shield's prisoner. "Papa!"

Thor paused for a fraction of a second, but he was gone in the blink of an eye. "Now there's _that_ guy," Tony muttered, getting up.

"Is papa upset with me? How come he never smiled for me?"

"What is he, your _dad_?" Tony asked Valerie, gesturing to the open hatch Thor left from.

"One of them," Valerie told Tony as sharply as a nine-year-old kid could, folding her arms and pouting.

"Okay, love," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe you can ask him when we bring him in." Tony missed Valerie sticking her tongue out at him as he moved to the open hatch.

Steve paused in putting the cowl back on. "What are you doing, we need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan," Tony said as the face of his helmet slid shut, "attack."

And then he was gone.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha said as Steve went for a parachute, "these guys come from legend, they're basically gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

And then Steve was gone too. With a sigh, Natasha closed the hatch. Valerie waited until it was closed before unbuckling herself and walking up to the cockpit. "I don't like Papa Stark so much," she informed Natasha.

The redhead fought off her amused grin as she nodded at Valerie. "Don't worry, kid, you're not the only one."

* * *

Valerie walked with Steve, holding on to his hand. Automatically, as if he'd actually been Valerie's father all her life, Steve picked her up when they reached the table and sat her down on his knee. Natasha watched them both curiously. Valerie, however, was interested in the footage they were watching.

" _Oh, I've heard_ ," Loki said to Nick, " _a mindless beast . . . makes play at still being a man_."

Involuntarily, Natasha glanced at Bruce, who merely raised his eyebrows. Steve could've sworn he heard Valerie hiss.

" _How desperate are you_ ," Loki asked, " _that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?_ "

There was no mistaking it this time. Valerie most certainly hissed at the footage of Loki.

" _How desperate am I_?" Nick asked, " _you threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can’t hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill ’cause it’s fun. You have made me very desperate. You might_ _not be glad that you did_."

Loki smirked as he taunted the director. " _It burns you to have come so close, to have the Tesseract, to have power_ \-- unlimited power -- _and for what_?" Loki smiled and turned to the camera again. " _A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what_ real power _is_."

Nick gave the Asgardian a tight smile. " _Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something_ ," he said as he made his exit.

The screen in front of Steve shut down. Valerie scowled at it. Nick arrived just in time to hear her venomously spit at where Loki had been. " _Bastard_."

Steve beat him to it. "Mind your language, young lady!"

Valerie gave Steve a flabbergasted look. "Papa Fury says it all the time!"

Nick refused to look at Steve, who sighed and sat up straight, moving Valerie as he did. "Loki's gonna drag this out," he said as Fury left before Valerie further incarcerated him, "so, Thor, what's his play?"

Thor turned to face the group. "He has an army called the Chitauri. They’re not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army," Steve deadpanned, "from outer space."

"Aliens?" Valerie asked, eyes sparkling. "Cool!"

"Not cool," Bruce told her before addressing the adults present. "So, he’s building another portal. That’s what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor echoed.

"Selvig!" Valerie repeated.

"He’s an astrophysicist," Bruce said, glancing at Valerie, who -- after excitedly calling the scientist's name -- was quietly sitting in Steve's lap.

"He’s a friend," Thor said.

Valerie blew a raspberry at Thor. "He's _my_ friend. You're a meanie that won't even say hi to me."

"Er, what?"

Valerie folded her arms and looked away from Thor, much to everyone else's amusement.

"Look," Natasha said, grabbing attention, "Loki has them under some kind of spell -- along with one of ours."

"Papa will come back," Valerie assured Natasha, conviction layered over her own fear that he just might not.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve said, glancing around, "he’s not leading an army from here."

"I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy’s brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor snapped at Bruce, "Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard . . . and he is my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha said flatly.

". . . He's adopted."

"I think it’s about the mechanics," Bruce went on, "Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony said as he and Coulson entered. He turned to Coulson and continued in a low voice. "I'm just saying, take a weekend. I'll fly you to Portland. Keep love alive."

The pair split as Tony headed towards Thor. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at Shield. No hard feelings, Point Break," he added to Thor, tapping the Asgardian's arm, "you got a mean swing."

"So it won't go --?" Valerie asked, making exploding sound effects as she gestured an explosion with her arms.

"Who exactly is this again?" Tony asked, pointing to Valerie.

Before anyone could answer, Valerie continued. "Why's the bastard need Iridium if he can control the Tess . . . Tessie . . . the _cube_ like me?"

"Valerie!" Steve scolded.

"Sorry, Papa."

"I thought she wasn't yours?" Tony said, raising his eyebrows at Steve.

Valerie looked at Tony. "Unless the bast--um, unless the evil man _can't_ control the cube."

Steve sighed. "We're gonna have to teach you to stop cursing," he muttered.

Tony tilted his head at Valerie. "What's your name, love? How _old_ are you?"

"Valerie Barton. I'm nine."

"Barton? So she's--"

"SHe's not," Natasha said. "Look, she found us. Is that so hard to understand?"

"So, what are you?" Tony asked Valerie, choosing not to respond to Natasha, "child genius? Prodigy? A different breed of superhuman?"

Steve frowned at the offhand reference to himself.

"I'm a _child_ , ass-mongrel. Just a normal child."

"Valerie," Natasha said, "who's teaching you all these words?"

"Some of them Papa Fury says a lot."

"And the others?" Natasha asked.

"Papa Hawks falls from his perch a lot. Sometimes when I'm nearby."

"Okay, the cursing child really _isn't_ a concern right now," Tony said. He stared at Valerie. "You said you can control the Tesseract."

"To some extent," Valerie said, copying the phrase Bruce had used a few times. "Can't _you_?" she challenged.

"Mortals cannot possess an object of such power," Thor said, speaking directly to Valerie for the first time.

Valerie stuck her tongue out at him. "Someone tell Papa Thor I don't want to speak to him."

"Now, just wait a moment," Thor said, taking a step towards Valerie. The reaction was instantaneous. Tony moved to hold Thor back -- not that he could've without his suit of armour, but still. Steve tightened his arm around Valerie and moved back. Natasha lifted herself off the chair, ready to launch an attack on the God of Thunder. Bruce -- never one to invoke a fight -- was ready to march up to Thor and attack. Valerie, despite Steve, leaned towards Thor and bared her teeth, as if she had fangs.

"I've seen you before," Thor said slowly, forgetting what he had initially intended to say.

Natasha slowly sat down again.  Bruce and Tony slipped back into a relaxed stance. Steve didn't loosen his hold on Valerie.

"Papa told me I had the stars in my head."

"I remember. You control the Tesseract? But -- you're of Earth, you can't -- you shouldn't -- none of you should be able to."

Valerie shook her head, sinking back into the safety of Steve's grip. "I lied. I can use it, but I can't control it. Papa Fury says I'm not allowed to touch the cube anymore."

"Can't imagine why," Steve muttered. Long gone was the pain, but he could still feel the impact of flying into a building hard enough to damage it so severely.

"Keep her away from Loki," Thor said.

"Loki's an even bigger meanie than you," Valerie told Thor, "I don't _want_ to be near him."

"Good."

"How does Fury even see these?" Tony asked Maria, having moved to the command area of the ship, hand over his left eye.

"He _turns_."

"Sounds exhausting." Valerie was the only one who noticed him stick something to the underside of a desk. She frowned. While she may dislike him, there was no denying the man was above average intelligence. She decided not to say anything. Nick wouldn't have called Tony in if he didn't think he could trust him.

"The rest of the raw materials," Tony continued from where he'd left off before Valerie cut in, "Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to kickstart the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Maria asked.

"Last night." Valerie found Tony amusing. "The packet, Selvig’s notes, the extraction theory papers -- am I the only one who did the reading?"

"I can't read very well," Valerie said.

The ends of Tony's lips quirked upwards as he regarded the child at the table.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He'd have to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Bruce said.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunnelling effect," Tony said.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally! Someone who speaks English."

Of everyone in the room, Valerie was the only one that looked like she understood the conversation -- and she had been thinking about redecorating Nick's office with the Captain America stickers Phil had bought for her.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked the others.

Tony shook Bruce's hand. "It’s good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you -- uh -- lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

". . .Thanks?" Bruce said while Valerie giggled to herself.

"Doctor Banner is _only_ here to track the gamma radiation," Nick said as he entered, "I was hoping you might join him."

"I’d start with that stick of his," Steve said, "it may be magical but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon."

"What's Hydra, Papa?" Valerie asked innocently.

"Nothing," Steve told her softly, pushing her hair from her face.

"It's a terroris--"

"I don’t know about that," Nick said loudly to Steve, cutting Tony off, "but it is powered by the cube. And I like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.

"Monkeys?" Thor asked, "I do not understand--"

"I do!"

The entire room silenced, all staring at Steve. "I . . . I understood that reference."

Valerie felt no shame in laughing at him.

Tony turned to Bruce. "Shall we play, Doctor?"

Bruce gestured in the direction of the wishbone lab. "This way, sir."

"I want to play too," Valerie said.

"No--" Natasha and Steve began.

"Papa got me some new stickers and I want to play with them."

"Oh," Natasha said, "okay, well . . . be careful."

"Yes, mommy," Valerie said, sliding down to the ground and walking off. She stopped and came back, coming to stand in front of Thor. "You can come play with me if you promise not to ignore me again."

"Er. . ."

"We can have fun together," Valerie said, taking Thor's hand. Everyone knew he had the strength to remain where he stood, but for some reason, it felt like Valerie really was pulling him along. "Papa Thor's gonna _love_ Valerie."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You'll do great things, my princess."

"Notice how she said that to us when she first met us?" Steve asked.

Maria, Natasha, and Nick stared at Steve. "What are you insinuating?" Maria asked.

"I'm just stating fact. Dr Banner didn't seem too fond of her when he first saw her -- he didn't even know her -- but was more than happy to play babysitter a while later. It didn't cross my mind before, but when she first showed up in my apartment, that's one of the first things she said to me, that I'm gonna love her . . . you don't bond with kids you don't know after fifteen minutes or less. Not like with her, anyway."

Nick folded his arms. Maria narrowed her eyes. Natasha leaned towards Steve. "What are you implying?" Natasha asked, pausing between each word.

Steve regretted bringing it up, but he couldn't weasel out of it now. "I'm just saying, it seems an awful lot like whatever Loki might have done to your agent."

"Are you really going to sit there and say our daughter is _with Loki_?" Nick asked.

"No, not with Loki . . . but somewhat similar? Perhaps she's related. Both you and she have said directly that you don't know how she found you."

"Our daughter is _not_ with Loki," Maria said firmly, looking as scary as Nick had the potential to be -- if not, more.

* * *

"I knew you'd come. I sensed it when I first laid eyes on you. But, it doesn't quite fit. How can you be of Asgard, yet at the same time, not at all?"

"I'm from Earth," Valerie said firmly.

" _You_ don't know where you're from," Loki snapped, coming as close as the glass would let him to Valerie.

She didn't even flinch. "And you want me to believe that _you_ do? You're no God, you're a man without a sound mind."

"What big words for such a small girl," Loki said, standing tall and smiling down at Valerie. "Tell me, where do you get your intelligence, hmm?"

"My parents. I get a lot of things from my parents."

"Is that so? And who, pray tell, gave you the ability to use the Tesseract's power so efficiently?"

Thor's name was on Valerie's lips, but she had barely seen him, let alone with with the Tesseract. "I . . . I don't know."

"Perhaps you were born with it. Perhaps you've stolen it. Perhaps you were gifted. Whatever the case, you are no mortal. Not any longer -- if you've ever really been."

"I am! I'm mortal, like my family."

"You are _nothing_ like your . . . _family_ ," Loki sneered. " I've known you hours and I can see it. You could be above them, so far high, and you haven't even grown a _decade_. You could rule over this world -- you could be a goddess."

"I'm fine being their daughter, thanks."

"Join me. Once I take my rightful place as king, I'll make you a princess. That's what you'd like, isn't it? Being a princess?"

"The only princess I am," Valerie said, turning her nose up, "is my papa's princess."

"Wasted gifts," Loki spat, turning away from Valerie. He spun back and pointed an enraged finger at her. "You have the potential to achieve greatness! You have the potential to be the most powerful being on the planet -- I can see it so clearly! -- and what are you doing with it? Letting it lie dormant while you choose to live a mortal life among those unworthy of you instead of spending time cultivating and increasing that power tenfold. _Wasted_."

Valerie narrowed her eyes. "You don't understand family, then. I may be several years too young, but I understand it better than a thousand-year-old Asgardian. When it's family, nothing matters. Not who you are, not what you can do, and most definitely not what you're worth. I love my parents, all of them. I love my parents, all of them. You're a threat and I'd like to get rid of you."

Loki, who had turned away from Valerie, watched her in the reflection on the glass of the cylinder rather than in reality. He grinned. "You can try."

"I will." Valerie promised, "you will learn love eventually, but you will go to hell for me."

* * *

Valerie covered her ears as her parents all screamed over one another. She'd come to the lab to see what Bruce was doing, and chaos had descended. She could almost hear Loki's laughter as she saw his sceptre glow before she ducked under the table. She tried her hardest, but she still heard every word.

"Agent Romanoff," Nick said, "would you escort Dr Banner back to his--"

"Where? YOU _RENTED_ MY ROOM!"

"The cell was just--"

"IN CASE YOU NEEDED TO KILL ME. BUT YOU CAN’T. I KNOW, I TRIED!"

In the silence that ensued after Bruce's last statement, Valerie slowly uncovered her ears and peered out from under the table Loki's sceptre sat on.

"I got low," Bruce said, shifting uncomfortably, "I didn’t see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy _spit it out_. So I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

Everyone watched the doctor as his temper steadily rose. Nick and Natasha reached for their weapons.

"Papa!" Bruce calmed down when Valerie yanked Loki's sceptre from his hand. Clutching the golden handle that was near twice her height tightly, she hid the glowing end behind the puff of her sparkly skirt. "Papa found the Tesseract," she said, saying the word properly for the first time as she pointed to one of the screens.

"Have you located the Tesseract?" Thor asked, catching half of Valerie's sentence.

"I can get there faster," Tony said, already turning to leave.

"Wait, all of us --"

Thor cut Steve off. "The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it."

Valerie thought better of calling attention to herself and the pulsing glow of the sceptre.

"You are not going alone," Steve said, grabbing Tony's arm.

Tony smacked his arm away. "You gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit, let's find out!"

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man," Tony yelled.

"Put on the suit!"

Valerie screamed when she, Bruce, and Natasha went flying from the wishbone lab.

"Put on the suit," Steve said, picking himself up off the floor.

"Yep," Tony said, already heading out to it.

"Romanoff?" Nick yelled, tapping his earpiece.

" _We're good_ ," Natasha's voice returned.

"Valerie?"

" _Can't see her._ "

"Valerie is a priority!" Nick yelled, leaving the lab. He knew fixing the engine should probably be a priority, but he'd really rather secure Valerie's than his own -- and everyone else's -- safety. When it came to Valerie, no one really thought very rationally.

Below the equipment room where Natasha and Bruce were trapped, Valerie brandished the sceptre at the captive villain. "You're hurting my family. I won't stand for it."

Loki laughed. "You're _nine_."

"You said it yourself," Valerie said, levelling the sceptre with Loki's knees -- it was the highest she could go without dropping it, "I'm gifted."

"Your gifts are stolen. Your traits are stolen. Your intelligence from Banner, your defence habits from Romanoff. Even your compassion is a stolen trait, from that guts-less Agent Coulson."

"It's called _learning,_  you pompous prick pigeon-egg. It's what happens when your family cares for and raises you."

"Learning is not what you're doing, little wretch. You shouldn't know how to perform fatal manoeuvres with your tiny little body, but you do. Because you've watched Romanoff do it. You shouldn't understand half the things Banner says are, but you do. Because he does. Tell me, who else have you been thieving from?"

Valerie stood up straighter, leaning against the sceptre as it stood far above her own head. She smiled innocently. "You. Excuse me, I have a magic wand I need to play with."

Not for the first time, Valerie left Loki stumped.

She ran into the chaos, holding the sceptre tight. Where to go, what to do, who to -- Valerie screamed as the Hulk flew right past her, Thor hot on his heels. She could calm him down, but she knew the Hulk was safe. Who _wasn't_ safe was her Papa Hawks, who could get back on an escape jet with Loki if she didn't do something.

She tore through the helicarrier, running faster than she had when she'd gone and spilled Nick's secrets to Shield employees and had had to outrun Nick himself. She had just reached the exit of the lab when she tripped over someone. Valerie's breath caught in her throat when realised that whoever it was, they were long gone. Biting back her emotions, Valerie reached for the helmet and removed the earpiece. She fiddled with it for a second before putting it in her own ear in time to hear Nick's voice.

"-- _headed for the detention centre. Does anybody copy_?"

Valerie knew Nick would be furious if he knew what she was up to, so she kept silent and hurried towards the detention centre.

" _This is Agent Romanoff. I copy_."

Valerie found the pair on a passage catwalk in the engine room. Clint had Natasha in a headlock, her neck exposed to his dagger.

"Mama!"

Clint let go of Natasha and turned right into the sceptre. It glowed brilliantly for a moment, and Natasha thought she saw Valerie's eyes flash gold.

"Papa?" Valerie asked cautiously when Clint blinked a few times, his eyes no longer ice blue.

"What are you doing here, Val?"

Valerie dropped the sceptre and rushed to hug Clint.

"Oh, don't mind me," Natasha said sarcastically, loosely holding her neck, "I'm _fine_."

Valerie let go of Clint to hug Natasha. "You shouldn't be here, _zvezda_."

"Right," Valerie said, pulling away, "we have to go. Loki's gonna try to escape. I know it."

Clint reached for Valerie's hand, but she turned away from him. She stared at the floor. "It was right there," she said, looking at a small scorch mark.

"Val?"

"The sceptre is gone. I dropped it _right there_." 

"Doesn't matter," Clint said, taking her hand, "let's get you somewhere safe."

Something didn't feel quite right to Valerie, but she wasn't sure what the feeling meant. She pulled her hand away. "You should go help Papa Fury. I'll hide safely."

"I feel like you're lying, but you're right. Where will we find you after? Training room?"

"I'll find Papa Fury when it's all over," Valerie promised before running off, presumably to hide somewhere.

* * *

The scream was deafening, filled with grief and pain. Loki _almost_ regretted it. Valerie's second cry was directed at him, filled with a kind of rage Loki found vaguely familiar.

"You're a monster! The kind parents tell their kids to hide from! The vilest creatures of the universe! You call yourself a god, a king, but you show _none_ of the mercy either should have! You aren't worthy of the titles you seek and I'm going to watch you suffocate and die!"

Valerie turned her back on Loki and knelt beside Phil, holding on to his hand with both of her. Loki studied Valerie as she begged Phil to stay alive. She truly was something special, and if he could sway her. . .

"You'll do great things, my princess," Phil said, smiling at Valerie

"I hope you get what you deserve." By the acid on her tongue, both men knew Valerie spoke to Loki. "Because if you don't, I'll make sure of it myself. If you think the mortal men in suits are _formidable_ _enemies_ , then you've never faced the uncontrolled rage of a child who's lost.

Loki made his decision and gripped the end of his sceptre, touching the point of it to her back. Valerie stilled for a second before slowly rising. Loki' grin turned mad when she looked up at him with icy eyes. "Brilliant," he murmured.

* * *

"Agent Coulson is down."

Nick's voice, void of emotion, rang in everyone's earpieces.

"A medical team is on its way to your location."

"They're here. They called it."

"Does anyone have eyes on Valerie?" Clint asked over the frequency, having patched back into the Shield frequency.

"Gone," Nick said, "Loki has her."

" _Shit_ ," Steve swore.

* * *

Nick tossed the bloodstained cards onto the table. Steve picked up one of the vintage Captain America cards.

"They were in his jacket pocket," Nick said, "guess he never did get you to sign them."

Everyone remained silent.

"We’re dead in the air up here," Nick continued, "our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor, Valerie. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Think I had that coming."

He walked around the table slowly. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative."

He paused at the empty chair between Steve and Tony. "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Tony stood up and left.

"Well, it’s an old fashioned notion," Nick said, somewhat to himself. He sighed and walked out through another door. Natasha helped Clint up and guided him towards the med bays. Valerie's cure -- whatever she had done -- still had Clint a little dizzy. Steve got up and followed Tony.

 

Tony stood, watching the space where the cylindrical containment chamber had once been.

"Was he married?" Steve asked as he came in.

"No. There was a, uh . . . a cellist, I think."

"I’m sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot," Tony said, his words harsh but his tone factual.

"Why? For believing?" Steve asked, walking further into the room.

"For taking on Loki alone," Tony said, turning away from the empty space and walking to the doorway Steve had come from.

"He was doing his job."

"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have--"

"Sometimes there isn’t a way out, Tony."

The billionaire scoffed as he passed by Steve. "Right. How did that work for him?"

"Is this the first time you’ve lost a soldier?"

" _We are not soldiers_!" Tony whirled around to stare up at Steve. "I’m not marching to Fury’s fife."

"Neither am I. He’s got the same blood on his hands that Loki does, but right now we gotta put that behind us and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list --"

"He made it personal," Tony cut Steve off, glancing at the dent Phil left in the wall when he fell.

"That’s not the point."

"That is the point. That’s Loki’s point. He hit us all right where we live. He took a nine-year-old kid that can barely spell her own name. Why?"

"To tear us apart," Steve said slowly, catching on to Tony's point.

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great but -- he knows he has to take us out to win, right? _That’s_ what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah. That’s just previews, this is -- this is opening night. And Loki, he’s a full-tail diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered. . ." Tony trailed off as he realised what Loki was after. Steve raised his eyebrows. "Son of a bitch," Tony muttered, already leaving the area.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My parents trained me better than that."

Loki studied Valerie as she stood before him. "Valerie," he said, using her name for the first time. She looked up at him. "You're going to get hurt."

"I know what I'm doing."

"You're _nine_."

"And smarter than you'll ever _think_ to be."

"Children have no place on the battlefield, especially not stubborn little miscreants in bright pink tutus."

"If you did not mean to use me, why did you take me?"

The question stumped Loki. He knew he had a reason when he had put the sceptre's head to her back, but he couldn't quite remember why. There seemed, now ten minutes later, that there was only one reason why. "It was the only way to ensure your safety during the coming fight. You do as I say, and I'm telling you to stay off the battlefield."

"Then you've failed. Your magic is weak."

"You don't know any _other_ kind of magic," Loki said, raising his eyebrows. He found her somewhat entertaining.

"Says you. I've used the power of the Tesseract and the power of your sceptre, both of which I've used much better than _you_."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. "I've travelled greater distances than you with the Tesseract."

"Once," Valerie said, shrugging. "I used it twice."

"I built an army of mortal men with my sceptre."

"So? I reversed the effects on my papa and myself."

"You did _what_?"

Valerie blinked. Loki stared at her as he realised her eyes didn't quite resemble those of his mind-controlled army. Those crystal eyes were her own.

"You thought you manipulated me," Valerie said with a smile. "My parents trained me better than that."

"You should not have been able to resist the power."

Valerie shrugged. "Weak magic. Papa Phil could do better _card tricks_ than that -- and he couldn't do a card trick at all."

Loki wanted to run her through the way he had done Phil, but the urge passed in seconds. It confused him -- why he allowed the mortal to insult and annoy him.

Valerie giggled as she wandered around Stark Tower, fiddling with some of Tony's things. "I know why," she said, hurling a vase at Loki that he didn't have a chance to dodge, "it's 'cause _lo-o-ove_ me. Points for Valerie!"

"All right," Loki said, flicking water from his eyes. "Why are you still here, if you're not under my control?"

Valerie tossed a paperweight from one hand to the other. "I'm stalling, you mewling quim."

Loki's eyes widened as he realised she was adopting his behaviour. The smirks, the eye rolls, the high speech, everything. Down to the way she sauntered around the tower. In his shock, Loki missed the paperweight being thrown at him. He did his best not to show how much it had hurt. Valerie had a lot of strength for such a tiny child.

"I'm only keeping you here."

"For what?"

"Papa Stark's gonna kick your ass."

"The metal man . . . won't stand a chance when I use my sceptre on him."

Valerie shrugged and picked up one of Pepper's flatter shoes. "Pretty."

"If you throw that at me, I'll--"

"What? Throw me off the tower? You wouldn't be able to. You lack conviction." Valerie laughed, and just because he said not to, she threw the shoe. She didn't know what 'conviction' meant, but she had heard Phil say it to Loki and Loki hadn't looked pleased to hear it.

Of course, Loki was expecting the throw and dodged, turning back to see it slide across the floor. He turned back to give Valerie a smug look and the other shoe hit him on the face.

Valerie laughed heartily at the look on his face. Loki wanted to be annoyed -- he really did -- but the sound of Valerie's laughter brought a soft smile to his face.

Loki knew then that no matter what she thought of him, he would not let her get hurt in the forthcoming battle. She protested her lungs out as he dragged her up to the roof and left her in the care of Erik Selvig. It wasn't the best, but it was one way of assuring himself that she would not be a part of the battle. There was no way down for her. Frustrated, Valerie went to sleep in spite as Loki tried to tell her why he was stranding her on the roof.

The Asgardian was too stunned to be insulted.

* * *

"Shut it down," Tony told Selvig, looking at the machine the scientist had built.

"It’s too late! She can’t stop now. She wants to show us something! A new universe."

"Okay," Tony said, masking his annoyance. He aimed his repulsors at the barrier around the device and fired at it. The Tesseract deflected the blast, sending the same energy back. It knocked both Tony and Selvig down; it woke Valerie up.

"The barrier is pure energy," Jarvis told Tony. "It’s unbreachable."

"Yeah, I got that," Tony grumbled, getting to his feet. Selvig was out cold. He looked over the edge to see Loki on the platform outside the penthouse. "I’m beat."

"Sir, the Mark Seven is not ready for deployment."

"Then skip the spinning rims, we’re on the clock."

Tony was about to leave when he noticed a bright pink movement. "Valerie?! Are you okay? What happened?"

"I fought with Loki," she said honestly, not realising that Tony would take it to mean that Loki had tried to harm her, not that she had been the one doing the attempted harming.

The helmet slid up and Tony narrowed his eyes at a cut on her cheeck she had received from scratching and fighting to get out of Loki's grasp. Knowing what he saw, Valerie covered her cheek.

"Stay up here." 

"It's not like I can _go_ anywhere," Valerie said, annoyed.

"Sassy little kid."

Tony turned to leave, dropping his helmet back into place.

"Papa Stark?"

"Hm?"

"Kick his ass."

Tony grinned behind the helmet. Blood or not, no matter how long ago he'd met her, no matter where she came from, Valerie was most definitely _his_ kid too.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Valerie had nothing to do but sit in wait while her family fought their way through the Chitauri. Tony waved at her everytime he flew by Stark Tower. She pulled a different face each time.

After doing nothing for what felt like a whole day, Valerie pulled the rubber band from her ruined hairstyle and took to shooting stones at the passing aliens. It didn't do much to stop them, but it gave her satisfaction. She even shot one at Loki when she saw him fighting his brother. He might not have been physically hurt by the stone, but the look he threw Valerie told her she'd probably hurt his ego.

"Papa Hulk!" Valerie cried excitedly as he came into her view.

Hulk heard and turned in her direction. Valerie stood up and waved wildly. Hulk smiled and raised his hand.

"Behind you, papa!"

A Chitauri warrior leapt onto Hulks back. Not really expecting a result, Valerie put a stone in her rubber band and took aim. She didn't harm the alien, but she offered enough of a distraction for Hulk to throw the alien over and attack the rest.

"Valerie strong!"

Valerie laughed as Hulk took off to attack something else.

She continued shooting stones at whoever she felt like. Behind her, Selvig slowly came to. A while later, Valerie had just managed to dive out of the way when Natasha dropped from a Chitauri hovercraft, rolling into the spot Valerie had been standing in.

"Hi, mama!"

"I can't believe Tony left you up here," Natasha said, giving Valerie a tight hug and a quick kiss on her forehead.

"The bastard put me here with Selvig," Valerie said, "he said I'd be safe."

Natasha didn't seem to register anything beyond the curse. "We really need to clean your mouth out, Valerie."

"The sceptre. . ."

"Doctor," Natasha said, kneeling down to Selvig.

"Loki’s sceptre, the energy -- the Tesseract can’t fight. You can’t protect against yourself."

"It’s not your fault," Natasha said, "you didn’t know what you were doing."

"Well, actually I think I did. I built in a safety to cut the power source."

"Loki’s sceptre."

"It may be able to close the portal. And I’m looking right at it."

Valerie walked to the edge and looked over. The sceptre lay on the platform, Loki missing. "I can get it," she told the two adults.

"No," Natasha said immediately, suddenly understanding why the rooftop had been the safest place for Valerie. "I'll get it. You stay here."

While Valerie groaned and turned away, Natasha turned around in circles, looking for a way down and back up.

"Mama."

"Give me a minute, Valerie, I'm busy."

"Mama," Valerie said again, with a bit of force.

Natasha grabbed a cable and tested its stretch factor. "Not now, Vale--"

"I think you better she what she's got there," Selvig said.

Natasha sighed and turned to Valerie. She dropped the cable. "How -- when -- wha-- how did you get that?!"

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Valerie said with a giggle, handing Loki's sceptre to Natasha.

"No, seriously. How did you get down there and back up? I know you weren't using the Tesseract."

"I never left the rooftop, mama. Promise."

Valerie stepped back and watched Natasha and Selvig. Natasha used the sceptre to pierce the energy field. It took some force, but she was getting through. "I can close the portal," she told her teammates over the radio, "does anyone copy? I can shut the portal down!"

Valerie, who had kept the earpiece she'd taken on the helicarrier and modified when the Avengers showed up, heard Steve's response in her own earpiece.

" _Do it!_ "

" _No, wait_ ," Tony said.

" _Stark, these things are_ _still_ _coming_."

" _I got a nuke coming in, it’s gonna_ _blow in less than a minute_." Valerie looked out as far as she could see, spotting two dots in the sky. " _And I know just where to put it_."

The two dots merged and Valerie noticed them both heading towards the portal. As it got closer, Valerie could make out the difference between Tony and the missile.

" _Stark, you know that’s a one-way trip_ ," Steve said.

"You can't!" Valerie cried as Tony and the missile just barely missed Stark Tower.

" _Shit, who put the kid on the frequency_?"

"You can't do it!" Valerie shouted. She wouldn't let him die, not when she'd already seen Loki stab her Papa Phil through the heart. She wouldn't be able to take another death -- even if she thought she hated Tony.

" _Valerie, love, do me a favour_."

Valerie sniffed. "What?"

" _Kick his ass._ "

"Papa, no!"

The earpiece crackled as Tony and the missile disappeared into the portal. All over the city, the aliens began to fall like puppets whose strings had been cut. The Avengers and Valerie watched the portal.

"Come on, Stark," Natasha muttered, standing by to close the portal.

" _Close it_ ," Steve said after some time.

Selvig held Valerie back as Natasha plunged the sceptre through and the portal closed.

Valerie bit Selvig's hand and broke out of his grasp. She dodged Natasha and leapt for the Tesseract. Instead of falling to the stones they stood on, Valerie fell through a portal.

Natasha put a finger to her earpiece. "Valerie vanished with the Tesseract again."

" _Shit_ ," someone swore over the radio.

Down on the ground Steve, Thor and Hulk turned away from the sky, all looking down once the portal closed. They weren't sure if they'd lost one or two new family members. All of a sudden, a portal opened just above Hulk's head. Tony hit the ground harshly, his armour clanging violently. Hulk caught Valerie before she landed on top of Tony's armour.

" _What's happening_?" Natasha asked.

Thor broke off the faceplate of Tony's suit. He stood up when Steve got down beside Tony.

"The little one opened a portal and brought Stark back."

" _Valerie was in_ space?!"

Hulk looked at the child that almost fitted in just one of his hands, still clutching the blue cube. "Valerie not moving."

" _Are either of them breathing_?" Natasha asked.

"No," Steve said softly.

Everyone's shoulders dropped. Hulk frowned. He roared.

Valerie and Tony woke sharply, the former letting out a short scream as she dropped the Tesseract.

"They're fine," Thor informed Natasha as Tony made a joke about being kissed and Valerie scolded Hulk for scaring her. "They're fine."

* * *

When Loki came to, the first thing he saw was six of Earth's Mightiest glaring down at him. Clint aimed an arrow and Natasha gripped the sceptre tightly.

Lowering his gaze, he saw a child in a bright and puffy pink skirt with a deep scratch on her arm and a murderous look in her eyes. She held on to the Tesseract. "I warned you."

"If it's all the same to you," Loki told Tony, "I'll have that drink now."

Valerie's lip twitched. He was funny. She still wanted him dead, but he was funny.

"You better hope I never see you again," Valerie said, "because if I do, I'll roundhouse kick you in the head."

Normally, any one of them would find a threat like that from a nine-year-old child something of a joke, but every one of them knew better than to underestimate Valerie Barton.

* * *

"You okay, Val?"

_I miss Papa._

Clint was surprised. Valerie had started learning sign language as soon as she discovered his deafness, but she was better at signing and understanding. Clint found the gesture heartwarming and praised her for her effort. She didn't often use ASL, because she knew there was a high chance she would accidentally say something she didn't mean. So, upon seeing Valerie willingly -- when they all knew she loved the sound of her own voice -- use the soundless language, Clint knew she was well and truly hurt.

He sat down beside her as the stars sparkled above them. It wasn't hard to guess which papa she meant. "I know," he murmured, running his hand through her hair. After New York, it was decided Valerie could do with a break from Shield and all its problems. Clint took her home to Laura and his kids, her siblings.

When they first arrived home, Valerie had been distracted by Callum and Nicole Barton, the latter of whom was the same age as Valerie herself. But when Laura put all three to bed, Valerie couldn't sleep.

Valerie wiped her eyes on the sleeve of Nicole's pyjama top. She made sure Clint was looking at her before signing, _I want him back_.

Clint didn't really know what to tell her, so he kept silent and let her cry her heart out while he gave her a comforting hug. When she had tired herself and all that was left was a hollow feeling in her chest, Valerie put her head on Clint's thigh and stared at the sky. She fell asleep with the stars in her mind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta admit, Valerie throwing Pepper's shoe in Loki's face is arguably one of the best moments in this book.
> 
> Coming up, Captain America: The Winter Soldier , whoop whoop.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He's been on steroids since the 40s."

"Stop chewing your pencil, Valerie."

"Math is _hard_ ," Valerie complained, tempted to try to drive the pencil through the table.

Nick raised his eyebrows at the girl in the corner of his office. "You're doing fifth-grade math, Valerie, _how_ are you finding it difficult?"

Valerie turned in her chair and gave Nick a blank look. "I'm eleven, I reserve the right to find it hard."

"When Banner dropped you off after your vacation weekend two weeks ago, you brought back pages upon pages of advanced calculations I'm sure Banner _didn't_ have much of a hand in. Just do the goddamn word problems and give them to your tutor when you're done."

"I don't want to."

"We can always make you go to school, where you won't have so much free time to play with all your little projects."

Valerie considered her options. "I'll do the goddamn word problems," she grumbled, turning back to the book.

Steve entered in time to catch Valerie's last statement. "Wow. I don't see you for three days and you start cursing."

"That wasn't cursing," Valerie defended, "and hello to you too, Papa 'Merica."

"Hi, Valerie."

"Something on your mind?" Nick asked.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?"

"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share."

"I'm not obliged to do anything."

Nick and Steve's conversation was more interesting that the rules of multiplying and dividing fractions.

"Those hostages could've died, Nick."

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen," Nick countered.

"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army," Steve said, "not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns."

Valerie's interest grew when Nick stood up. "Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

"Except you," Steve said.

"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that." Nick turned to Valerie as he stepped around the desk. "Finish your homework."

"Are you gonna show Papa 'Merica what Project Insight is? I wanna see it too."

"Who told you about Project Insight?"

"What's Project Insight?" Steve asked.

Nick waited for an answer from Valerie.

"I heard you and Mr Pierce talking on the phone."

Steve noticed how Valerie didn't take Alexander Pierce as one of her many parents. He assumed she would've, given that Pierce and Nick worked somewhat close together. Steve put it down as Valerie being a little older and wiser than she was two years ago.

"You mean you were eavesdropping, little miss."

"Sorry."

"Finish your homework," Nick repeated before leaving the office, gesturing for Steve to follow. Valerie groaned and dropped her head on the desk. After a moment in the silence of the empty office, Valerie pulled out the birthday gift from Tony and dialled the billionaire's number.

"Morning, Mama Pep. Is Papa Stark there? . . . Oh. No, I wanted to know if he'd be willing to do my homework for me. It's math . . . You'll help me get it done? Awesome! I'll video call you from Daddy's computer in a minute . . . Thank you, mama!"

Valerie got the other seventy-five percent of her homework done in half the time it had taken her to do the first twenty-five percent. Pepper was a _great_ teacher.

* * *

Valerie held Steve's hand as they walked through the building. Once she'd found and handed her math work to her personal tutor, Valerie called Steve and asked if he was busy. He said it was nothing she couldn't tag along for.

"The lady we met," Valerie said, "that was Agent Peggy Carter?"

"Mhm."

"Papa Phil once told me that you and Agent Carter were gonna live happily ever after, before you went under the ice."

Steve nodded. "That's what we thought too. You know, I thought I was gonna die. I thought that was it. I never thought Shield would find me alive seventy years later."

"I'm glad we did," Valerie said, gripping Steve's hand a little tighter, "you wouldn't be my Papa 'Merica if we didn't."

Steve smiler down at Valerie. "I don't know where you came from, Valerie, but I'm glad Shield found you too."

"I'll see you next week," a woman said as she stepped out in front of the pair.

"Is that your friend, papa?" Valerie asked, pointing to the man that nodded to the woman. "What was his name again? Sam? Sam what, though?"

"Wilson."

"Look who it is," Sam said as he approached, "the running man."

"Caught the last few minutes," Steve said, "it's pretty intense."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret."

"You lose someone?"

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry."

Sam glanced down at Valerie. "Hi."

"Hi. I'm Valerie."

"Sam." He looked up at Steve. "No one mentioned you had a kid."

Steve shrugged. "She adopted me."

" _She_ adopted _you_?"

"She does that, apparently. Not anymore, really."

As if she wanted to prove Steve wrong, Valerie spoke up again. "I'm gonna adopt you too," she told Sam.

"Oh, really?" Sam asked, giving her a grin.

Valerie nodded. "I'm gonna call you . . . Papa Wilson!"

While Valerie giggled to herself at her pure genius, Sam raised his eyebrows at Steve, who shrugged. "I told you, she just does that."

"You can call me whatever you like, as long as I don't have to babysit."

"I'm _eleven_ years old," Valerie stated, "I can look after myself."

"Sure," Sam said, giving her a big grin. He turned back to Steve, who was looking a bit distracted. "After Riley, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?"

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out?"

"No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Steve laughed. "It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

"I don't know," Steve said. He glanced down at Valerie, who was looking up at him quizzically.

"Take a vacation with the kid," Sam suggested, "I'm sure she makes you happy."

"I can make everyone happy," Valerie said, "I can make everyone love me."

"Everyone, huh?"

"Yeah. You already love me, Papa Wilson."

"Can I ask you something, kid? Why do you go around adopting parents?"

Valerie shrugged. "I don't know who my first parents were, so I choose people I trust to make up for my lack of biological parents. 'Course I'm too young to be adopting grown-ass adults so I'm gonna have each one adopt me, which will hopefully cancel out the fact that I don't know who brought me into this world but hey, at least I'll have parental figures and the more I have, the higher the chance that one or two will be mentally stable."

Sam stared at her, open-mouthed. Then he looked at Steve, who sighed and shrugged.

"I spent last weekend with Papa Stark."

"Ah," Steve said, nodding and accepting her little speech. "You're spending this weekend with me."

"Cool. Can I come over tonight? I wanna play with some of my stuff, and Papa Fury's not gonna like 'em."

Steve sighed again. "Why don't you take your stuff to your new dad's place?"

"Because I'm new," Sam said, "we have to build a relationship of mutual trust first."

Valerie smiled at Sam. "I trust you. Don't worry, you'll trust me too."

"I'm kidding. Come over whenever you like, kid. Maybe you can tell me what's your old man's secret to running so fast."

Valerie smiled. "He's been on steroids since the forties."

"Okay!" Steve said, pushing Valerie along. "Say bye to Sam!"

"Bye, Papa Wilson."

Sam waved at Valerie. "Bye, kid."

* * *

Steve and Valerie got to his apartment some time after the sun had dipped. Outside was a woman Valerie recognised, but gave no indication that she did. She kept silent as Steve awkwardly flirted with her and tried to ask her out. It almost worked.

"Oh, I think you left your stereo on."

Steve nodded his thanks as she left. When Steve turned to stare at his door in suspicion, Valerie smiled and gave Agent Sharon Carter a wide grin and an energetic wave.

Sharon smiled back and returned the wave before holding her finger to her lips and glancing at Steve. Valerie copied Sharon, making sure her laughter wasn't audible.

When Valerie turned back to Steve, he was on the phone. "How fast can you get here? . . . I'm gonna need you to be here in, like, the next ten seconds . . . great, thanks."

Valerie didn't ask who Steve had called. When Steve put his ear to the door to listen in, Valerie copied.

A little over a minute later, Sam Wilson came up on their floor. "Hi," Valerie said, "are you the one Papa 'Merica was on the phone with?"

"Papa 'Merica, huh?" Sam asked, grinning at Steve. "What's the problem?"

"Can you keep Valerie? I might have a situation and I don't think I have enough time to get her back to her own place."

"Sure. Does little Valerie want to come, though?"

"I wanna see Papa 'Merica throw his shield," Valerie whined.

"Maybe another time, Valerie," Steve said, ruffling her hair.

She huffed and pulled a face for Steve before going to grab Sam's hand. "We're gonna spend the night complaining about you."

"I will not disagree," Sam said, turning to leave. "Hey, 'Papa 'Merica'? Stay alive."

"I owe you, man." Steve grinned and saluted Sam. He gave Valerie a wave. Just before they disappeared down the stairs, Valerie saw Steve walk away from his door. She was in Sam's car when she saw Steve tumbled through his bedroom window.

"Did you have dinner yet, kid?"

"No, Papa 'Merica said he was gonna make something for me. He said it was a special recipe his best friend used to make way back when."

"Well, I'm no chef, but I can make a mean toasted cheese sandwich."

"Do you have what it takes to make an All-American grilled cheese with all the works?" Valerie asked, sounding like a game-show host."

"I have bread, cheese, butter and a stove. What more do you want?"

"Juice?"

"Gotcha."

* * *

"So, what's an eleven-year-old kid doing in a secret intelligence agency?" Sam asked over the toasted sandwiches he and Valerie were eating.

"Papa found me when I was eight. Not even I know how I got there."

"Steve?"

Valerie shook her head. "No, the first person I called Papa. His name was Phil. He was a Shield agent, right up there in the high ranks with Mamaria -- uh, Papa Fury says to call her Agent Hill to other people though."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Valerie said, staring at the triangle in her hand. "It was two years ago. He told me I was gonna do great things. He used to call me his princess. I don't let anyone call me that anymore. The only princess I am, is my Papa's princess."

"You miss him?"

Valerie nodded, wiping unshed tears from her eyes. "A lot. Some days more than others."

"That's good," Sam said softly, "it means you still love him and that you haven't forgotten him."

"Everyone else moved on," Valerie said, "sometimes I feel like I'm the only person that remembers Papa Phil."

"Wait here," Sam said, getting up to fetch something. "Hey, kid," he called from the living room, "bring your dinner over here."

Valerie slipped off the chair and picked up her plate and glass. She put it down on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. Sam pulled the table closer to her. He opened a Manila folder and pulled out a photo. "That's the guy I was talking your Papa 'Merica about. We were best friends. Probably closer than you and your Papa Phil."

Valerie smiled at the joke. "I doubt that."

Sam gave her a smile. "His name was Riley. We would take as many missions as we could together. Then one day, he was knocked out of the sky. He was gone after that. Sometimes I think about the time we had together. He was a dumbass, I won't deny that, but he was my best friend in the army. I still miss him. The army gave a dumb medal to his family, but all they wanted was Riley. We lose people all the time, Valerie, what's important is that we make sure they didn't die for nothing."

Valerie took the photo from Sam and stared at it. "Thank you, papa."

"Anytime, kid. Finish your food, I'm going to set up somewhere for you to spend the night."

"Can I look at the other photos?" Valerie asked as Sam stood up.

"Yeah. Knock yourself out."

Sam didn't expect to come back they minuted later to an empty plate and glass, and a fast-asleep Valerie on the sofa, photos in hand. Smiling, he picked her up and carried her to his room. On autopilot, Sam dropped a kiss on her forehead before leaving. Valerie stirred. "Night, papa."

He smiled again. "Night Valerie."

As he cleaned up the living room and kitchen, his phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Change of plans," Steve said, "how long can you keep Valerie?"

"Long as you need. Something wrong?"

There was a deep sigh on the other end. "A lot. She can't be at Shield right now."

Sam nodded, gathering the photos Valerie had been going through. "I'll look after her," Sam promised, glancing in the direction of his bedroom.

He went to bed an hour later, getting comfortable on the sofa, wondering how Valerie managed to worm her way into his life despite having known her only a few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayeee welcome the club, Papa Wilson


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She appears to demonstrate superior intelligence."

"When's Papa 'Merica coming to get me?" Valerie asked over the omelette Sam set down in front of her. "I left an important item at my daddy's office and I wanted to ask Papa if he'll take me to get it."

"I'm not sure, kiddo," Sam said with a shrug, opening the fridge. "What's it gonna be? Apple? Orange? Mixed?"

"Have you got tropical?" Valerie asked, sitting taller in her chair and trying to see into the fridge.

Sam rummaged around for a second. "You're in luck, kid."

Valerie smiled as Sam poured the juice into her glass. "Thank you, papa."

Sam beamed. He had no idea why. He poured a glass for himself before sitting down across her. "So, what's this project that you couldn't build in front of your dad?"

Valerie grinned madly. "I'm going to join the Avengers one day."

"The Avengers?" Sam echoed, eyebrows raised, "the group of superhumans and or super-geniuses that saved New York when some whackjob in a cape with an alien army attacked? Those Avengers?"

"Those are the ones."

Sam laughed.

Valerie pouted. "Don't laugh. I'd make a great Avenger."

"I don't doubt that, kiddo, but aren't you a bit . . . young? Don't you want to wait a few years?"

"Well, duh. I have to wait for my superpowers to develop."

"You have superpowers?"

"Not yet. I'm gonna get them, though."

"Yeah?"

Valerie nodded. "I already stole magic from Loki."

"Is that so?" Sam asked, humouring the child in front of him.

"Yeah, but I'm not very good at it yet, so I can't show you anything."

Sam nodded. "Of course. That makes sense."

"Oh! But I can show you my suit! That's what I'm building, by the way. It's nowhere near complete -- well, the outer suit anyway. The bodysuit is done, but that's made with shield uniforms. Mamaria said I could take Mama Nat's old suits to play with. I haven't told anyone I'm making a suit that's gonna put Papa Stark's to shame. Do you want to see my suit?"

"Finish your breakfast, kid," Sam said, smiling at her.

* * *

Sam didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't a bright pink bodysuit that was clearly made of something strong enough to offer protection against most knives.

"Wh-- why is it pink?"

"Cause it's my favourite colour."

"You designed it yourself?" Sam asked, gesturing to the suit.

Valerie looked down at her suit. "This is Mama Nat's symbol," she said, pointing to the once-red hourglass that she had painted black. "It came with Mama's suits."

Valerie pointed to a blue circle on her chest. "This is for Papa Stark, it's where my arc reactor will go. It's not a super-powerful arc reactor like Papa Stark's, but I'll make it power my suit. I just have to figure out how to create one. That's why I'm gonna spend next weekend with Papa Stark again."

"The utility belt? What are you carrying in there?"

"Nothing. I'm going to rip off the pockets and attach a quiver. Papa Hawks is teaching me to shoot like him."

Sam nodded. "Oh, okay. And uh . . . So you have a plan, huh? Paying tribute to the Avengers?"

Valerie nodded and smiled proudly. "The outer suit is also for Papa Stark. I'm gonna build a shield better than Papa 'Merica's and it'll be pink like my suit."

Sam did a mental headcount. "You're missing two Avengers."

"Papa Thor and Papa Hulk aren't gonna be on my suit. I'm going to mimic their superpowers."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna summon lightning and be super strong. I'm gonna be the greatest superhero ever."

"I don't doubt that," Sam said with a smile, "come here, let me see that suit."

Valerie walked around the coffee table and bent towards Sam. He felt the collar of her suit and frowned. "That's really thick, kiddo."

Valerie nodded. "It's made of many of Mama Nat's old suits. The thicker it is, the more protected my body is."

"That . . . that makes sense. But can you breathe properly? Don't the added layers make it too thick? We wouldn't want the world's greatest superhero to get heatstroke."

"It's breathable and flexible," Valerie said, folding her sleeve up to show Sam, who was steadily growing more amazed at Valerie with each word she spoke. "Mama Sharon helped me put this suit together. She doesn't know I'm planning a second suit."

"Who's that, now?"

"She's a Shield agent with a very special mission. I can't tell you, though, because Papa Fury made me swear not to."

"All right. Tell you what, let's go do something fun today. When Steve calls, we'll come back here."

"Fun like what?"

"What's fun for you?"

"You're gonna laugh. Or you'll be disturbed."

"I promise not to laugh, Valerie."

Valerie hesitated for a moment, playing with the sleeve of her suit. "Combat sessions with Mama Nat are the best."

"Combat sessions," Sam repeated, "like . . . proper uniform fighting?"

Natasha held out her hands and gave Sam a fierce look -- that didn't look quite fierce. "Black Widow style."

"Tell you what, kiddo, let me take you down to the gym and show you how to fight," Sam mimicked her little hand gesture, "Falcon style."

"Who's the Falcon?" Valerie asked, frowning.

"I'll show you. Put your sneakers on and throw your little dress over your suit. We're gonna have some fun without Steve."

"We're gonna make Papa 'Merica jealous," Valerie called with a laugh as she ran back to Sam's bedroom.

* * *

Valerie and Sam had tired themselves out. Sam had spent the morning teaching Valerie a few moves before allowing her to practice on him. They'd quickly lost track of time and only looked up at a watch when Valerie somehow managed to drop Sam to the ground without any help from the man whatsoever.

To congratulate this little victory of hers, Sam took her out for an ice cream dinner. They returned to Sam's place too tired to do anything. They had sat down on the couch to rest for a moment, and the next thing either knew, someone was banging on the front door.

Sam grunted and shifted slightly. His bed wasn't feeling so comfortable and something seemed to be crushing his lungs. Cracking his eyes open, he realised he'd fallen asleep on the couch, and that something was Valerie. Careful not to jostle her too much, Sam got up and laid her back down on the cushions. Grumbling to himself, he opened the door.

"I'm so sorry," Steve said immediately.

The redhead beside him, Sam knew her as Natasha from the stories Valerie told, gave Sam an apologetic look. "Everyone we know is trying to kill us."

"Not everyone," Sam said, stepping aside to allow the pair entry. He closed and locked the door after them, pulling the shutters closed.

"You look like shit," Valerie said when two of her parents walked into the living room.

Sam, who had known her roughly one and a half days, looked scandalized and beat Steve to it. "Mind your language, young lady!"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Steve, when you said babysitter, I thought you meant an actual babysitter."

"I'll have you know I'm a great babysitter," Sam said, folding his arms, "Valerie, tell them."

"Sam let me practice lethal combat moves on him."

"Sam!" Steve cried.

Natasha grinned. "Oh, would you look at that, someone I would trust my daughter with without thinking twice. Good job, Steve, you actually found a good one. I'm proud of you."

"Valerie, why don't you show these two to the bathroom. Then you can come and help me with your breakfast."

"Okay, papa." Valerie grabbed Natasha's hand and pulled her along.

A few minutes later, Sam and Valerie had finished up with breakfast. "Go tell your parents you made breakfast," he said to her with a smile. "If they eat that sort of thing," he mumbled under his breath.

Valerie walked down the hallway to find Steve in the doorway to the room Natasha was in. They were clearly talking about something, but the food was more important to Valerie. "Papa Wilson and I made breakfast, if you eat that sort of thing."

"Valerie!" Sam cried from the kitchen. She giggled.

* * *

Valerie screamed and kicked and generally made a huge fuss.

"VALERIE BARTON, SIT YOUR ASS THE HELL DOWN RIGHT NOW, GODDAMNIT!"

Valerie, who had never had Steve swear her before, sat down beside Natasha in the backseat.

"Thank you," Steve said, turning back to the front.

Natasha was used to Valerie's temper tantrums and had to quell her own fair few, but Sam was witnessing this for the first time. He glanced in the mirror at Valerie, who -- surprisingly -- was staring at Steve with a look of awe.

"Okay, but can I ask a question?"

"What?" Steve asked, sounding exasperated.

"Why can't I go back to Triskellion? I promise I'll stay with Papa Fury, then you guys can do your super-secret mission."

"Sweetheart," Natasha began, "he's. . ." She struggled to get the word 'dead' out of her mouth.

"What?"

"Missing," Steve decided.

"Are you gonna look for him? Is that what this mission is about?"

Steve nodded stiffly. "Mhm."

"You're a shitty liar, papa," Valerie said with a tight smile, turning to look out the window.

No one scolded her for her language.

* * *

"I'll keep an eye on her," Tony told Natasha.

"Just . . . let her play in the lab or something."

"You're _so_ lucky I was already in D.C."

Pepper shot him a look as Natasha gave Valerie a kiss and got back in the car.

"You made me book you a private plane," Pepper said after Sam pulled away.

"Ugh," Valerie muttered, "I can't believe they won't let me go with them."

"Wanna play with some of my toys, kid?"

Valerie forgot all about the fact that Steve, Natasha and Sam had launched her at Tony Stark. "Do I get to play with the Mark Eight?"

"Mark Eight blew up," Tony reminded her as they walked to the car. "But the Supernova is still functioning."

"Yes!"

Pepper sighed. On Valerie's first stay with Tony, where she had been gifted her own floor in the tower, Tony had shown her all his suits. She was amazed and had asked him to teach her how he built them. Together -- Tony called it their father-daughter bonding exercises -- they worked on a suit for Valerie. Tony ran the whole thing by Pepper seconds after suggesting it, assuring Pepper that the suit would have no thrusters and would not be wired into the main system -- meaning that Valerie could not operate the suit. She was just making a statue. Why she called it Supernova was a mystery to both Tony and Pepper.

Of course, Valerie was a little shit who spent time enough with both Bruce and Tony and had managed to soak up the pure genius they leeched. She greeted Jarvis when she entered Tony's D.C. home and when Tony left her in the lab to go and placate Pepper, she had him open up their little secret.

"Fury's dead, okay?" Tony hissed at Pepper, "and she doesn't know."

" _She doesn't know_?!" Pepper hissed back, leaning towards Tony, "how could you not tell her?!"

"It's not for me to say, all right? That's for one of her Shield Agent parents to say. It should come from Romanoff, or Barton, or even that patriotic ass. I'm not telling her that her favourite father is gone. At best, I'm going to keep her distracted until one of them grow a pair and tell her."

"Speaking of," Pepper said, glancing in the direction of the lab, "is it really wise to let her play with . . . all of that?"

"She'll be fine. Jarvis has the lab secure. The only way she can get out is if she jumps out the window."

As he said this, something crashed. Both Pepper and Tony froze.

"Dum-E broke the glass door!" Valerie yelled.

"That robot's not even here," Pepper said, looking suspicious.

"Well, Valerie loves him so. . ." Tony trailed off, shrugging.

"Oh my god," Pepper muttered, holding her hand to her forehead. When she looked up, her eyes widened. "OH MY GOD!"

"What?!" Tony yelled, turning to the window behind him. There was nothing. "Pepper, are you -- WHAT THE HELL!"

Something streak across the windows on the other side of the building, headed towards Shield headquarters.

"Jarvis!" Tony all but shrieked. "You better _pray_ that's a rogue suit that managed to get here from New York!"

"Apologies, sir," Jarvis said calmly, "but my protocols appear to have been overridden."

"SHE'S _ELEVEN_!" Tony screamed, scrambling for the bracelets he always kept nearby.

"She appears to demonstrate superior intelligence."

"Jarvis, that doesn't even make sense," Pepper said. "How can she _appear to demonstrate_ intelligence of any level?"

"Well, she doesn't actually have superior intelligence levels. She just acts like she does."

"Oh hell," Pepper muttered, looking at Tony, "she's _you_."

Tony resurfaced from his briefcase, snapping the silver bracelets onto his wrists. "Shut up. Jarvis, track the Supernova."

"The tracker system is offline."

Tony cursed under his breath. "But you're in the suit?"

"Affirmative."

"Connect to it. Scan the area for anything that's flying that really shouldn't be in the air and track it."

"Four unauthorized aircrafts found. Satellite imaging recognises three Shield helicarriers. I assume the fourth is Ms Nicholson."

"Why does Shield have three unauthorized helicarriers in the air?" Tony mused as he headed towards the elevator.

"I'm driving," Pepper announced as she followed Tony out. She spoke over him as he tried to explain why she shouldn't. " _Someone_ has to bring the car back here, Tony!"

"Fair enough," Tony said, getting into the car. He turned to the woman behind the wheel. "Are you willing to -- PEPPER!"

He had been about to ask her if she would be willing to do something as dangerous as going over the speed limit, but Pepper seemed prepared to break the sound barrier if the car could.

When it came to Valerie, no one really acted very rationally.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm revoking your tech privileges."

Valerie knew better than to call her father's name as he fought off someone she didn't recognise. She flew in through a hole that someone had blasted into the carrier and saw something fly from his hand, landing on the metal walkway as both men tumbled to the glass underside of the carrier.

"Jarvis, what is all this?"

The AI took a moment to answer. "Project Insight, a scheme set to eliminate any threats. The disc Captain Rogers dropped can stop the carriers from eliminating these targets."

Valerie glanced at her father and the stranger down below. "I trust Papa 'Merica," she said, dropping down onto the walkway.

"VALERIE! YOU ARE _GROUNDED_!"

Valerie winced as she heard Tony's voice in her helmet.

"Come on, J, we had a deal."

"You made a deal with my daughter?!" Tony yelled, incredulous. "Where are you?"

Valerie's helmet slid back as she picked up the chip and walked to the spot she had seen Steve standing at. She frowned for a minute before replacing one of the carrier's chips with the green one.

"Jarvis, can you contact Mamaria?"

"Of course, Ms Barton."

Valerie patched into Maria Hill's frequency in time to hear the Steve ask her how the carrier's chip was swapped out.

"I don't know," Maria said.

"Doesn't matter," Steve said, "open fire."

"Steve. . ."

"Do--"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!" Tony cried as the Iron Man burst onto the carrier. His own helmet snapped back and he turned a furious glare on the girl in a suit the colour of the galaxy. "I'm revoking your tech privileges."

Not much banter followed, because the Winter Soldier opened fire on Tony. Steve tackled him to the glass floor and Tony moved away from Valerie, drawing fire to himself.

"Kid, get off the ship!" Tony yelled, heading down to help Steve.

"Not without you guys!"

"DO AS I SAY, VALERIE!"

Valerie's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't lose more people. She would not leave them behind. "Open fire, mama," she said as her helmet slid back into place.

"Not while you're on that carrier!" Maria cried.

"You don't have a choice. I'm not leaving without my fathers. I have to help."

Not caring for her own safety, Valerie jumped down, knocking Steve out of the Winter Soldier's line of fire. "Jarvis, who is he?"

"Records state his name is James Buchanan Barnes, died 1945."

"Papa's friend," Valerie said, avoiding fire and making the man turn circles while Steve tried to knock him down and Tony tired to grab Valerie.

At one stage, Tony had a grip on her wrist and debated throwing her out of the carrier.

"Hill, we're running out of time," Steve grunted, holding the soldier in a headlock.

"I'm not launching with Valerie there!"

"Wait!" Valerie said as Tony got ready to try to launch her off the carrier, "there's one more thing I can try!"

"You can try to get off the carrier!" they all screamed at her.

Valerie sighed. "Just hold him down, papa. Please."

"What do you _think_ I'm doing, Valerie?"

Tony wasn't about to loosen the grip he had on Valerie's foot, but that wasn't much help when the suit opened and Valerie fell out. Before Tony could try to grab her, Valerie scrambled towards Steve and put her hands on either side of the Winter Soldier's head. Steve could've sworn the sclera of her eyes flashed golden, while the iris turned black.

Tony knew for certain that the soldier's eyes had flashed the colour of Loki's mind-controlled army. Then he slumped over in Steve's arms.

"Jarvis, put Valerie back in the suit and let's get out of here."

Tony snatched Steve up and made for the exit. "Valerie, come _on_."

Valerie bit her lip, glancing at the unconscious man. "Jarvis, how strong does the suit make me?"

"Valerie!" Tony yelled.

"Enough," Jarvis said, knowing what Valerie wanted to do.

Ignoring Tony, Valerie picked the man up and lifted him out of the carrier as Steve told Maria to open fire. Unfortunately, the blasts knocked Tony and Valerie, and the four of them sank into the water, two of them out cold.

Jarvis managed to pilot Tony's suit out of the water, and the Winter Soldier dragged Steve onto the river bank. He stared at Steve for a second before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Valerie cried, tumbling from her suit. "Where are you going?"

"Away."

"You can't. You're papa's best friend. I know you."

"You don't know anything. You're a child."

Valerie frowned and folded her arms. "I broke your brainwashed state. I got into your head. I know more about you than _you_ know, _James_."

Her last statement got his attention. "My name is Bucky," he snapped, but Valerie thought he sounded rather gentle.

"Fine, but I won't call you that."

"Then what will you call me?"

"Papa."

"Why? I'm not your father."

Valerie pointed at Steve and Tony. "They aren't either, but that's Papa Stark and that's Papa 'Merica. You're Papa Barnes."

"I'm not," Bucky insisted, shaking his head.

"You don't get to choose if you are or not. That's my decision."

"I have to go. If they find me here, they'll put me away."

Valerie frowned. "But you'll come back? Will I see you again?"

Bucky didn't answer. He simply turned to leave.

"You'll come back," Valerie called after him, "a soldier can never disobey an order."

Bucky stopped somewhere between the trees. "I have no orders."

Valerie planted her feet firmly. "Sergeant Barnes, who once served in the 107th, I hereby _order_ you to return to me someday. You will see me again, you will speak to me again, you will be my Papa Barnes and you _will_ love me. You don't have a choice."

Bucky found himself smiling as he turned to leave. The child sure was something else. Neither had any idea if what she said even made sense, but Bucky felt a strange tug towards her. He shrugged it off and left.

Valerie passed out a few seconds later. Her suit, piloted by Jarvis, caught her before she hit the ground.

* * *

Steve had recovered minutes after Tony, and both were on the verge of passing out in their chairs by Valerie's bedside. Both wanted to tear the other a new one for Valerie being on the carrier, but they both felt somewhat to blame.

"I feel like I died."

Sam, who had just come to stand in the doorway, scoffed. "You almost did. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I needed my dad to live."

Sam sighed and walked into the room. "You're a kid, Valerie, that's not the kind of things you should be worried about."

Valerie sat up with minimal difficulty. "I'm their kid, that's all I ever worry about."

Sam tapped Steve's shoulder before going to nudge Tony. "Hey, guess who woke up."

Giving Valerie a grin, Sam left her at the mercy of two of her fathers. She pulled a face for him as he left.

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you thought Papa was dead," Valerie snapped.

"Let's just focus on the fact that he's not," Steve suggested.

"This feels weird," Valerie mumbled, looking at the headstone.

"So," Nick said as he approached the trio, wearing sunglasses and a hoodie, "you've experienced this sort of thing before?"

"You get used to it," Steve said with a shrug.

"We've been data-mining Hydra's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm headed to Europe tonight, wanted to ask if you'd come."

"I wanna come," Valerie said.

"You're grounded," her fathers reminded her. Valerie huffed, although she knew it could've been worse. At least they were having Clint babysit her. She knew why Natasha and Nick insisted it be Clint. Laura would kill Valerie if she did something that reckless in front of her.

Nick turned back to Steve, who shook his head slightly. "There's something I gotta do first."

"How about you, Wilson? Could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy," Sam said

"Alright then," he said, shaking the hands of each man in turn. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here."

Fury ruffled Valerie's hair. "See you around, little miss."

"You better not die for real," Valerie said, pouting.

"I'll do my best," he promised. With one final glance at the gravestone, he turned to leave. Natasha took his place.

"You should be honoured," she told Steve, "that's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."

"Not going with him?" Steve asked.

"No."

"Not staying here."

"I blew all my covers, I gotta go figure out a new one."

"That might take a while."

"I'm counting on it. That thing you asked for, I called in a few favours from Kiev." Valerie watched Natasha had Steve a file. What was file number seventeen? "Will you do me a favour? Call that nurse."

"She's not a nurse," Steve reminded her.

"And you're not a Shield agent," Natasha reminded him.

"What was her name again?"

"Sharon," Valerie supplied, "she's really nice."

Natasha smiled at Valerie. "Look at that, Steve, the kid's got taste." She reached up to give Steve a kiss on his cheek. "Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread."

Valerie caught Natasha before she left, hugging her tight. "You better not die either," she warned.

"I'll do my best," Natasha echoed Nick, kissing Valerie's forehead. While Valerie waved to Natasha until she could no longer see her, Steve opened the file.

"You're going after him?" Sam asked.

"You don't have to come with me."

"I know. When do we start?"

Steve glanced down at Valerie. "As soon as Clint picks up this little troublemaker."

Valerie stuck her tongue out a Steve, frowning and folding her arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next, Avengers: Age of Ultron.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know, it's like I see someone who has a skill I admire and my brain goes 'hey, look, free superpowers!'. I don't know."

Tony could've sworn up and down about revoking Valerie's tech privileges, but he had let her into the lab not even three weeks after the debacle at Triskellion.

There was nothing stopping Valerie from sneaking out after her parents when they next took a mission, so each one of them put in a helping hand and perfected her armour until they were sure the _only_ thing that could go wrong was Valerie missing a step.

"Shit!" Tony cried as he flew right into a barrier.

"Language!" Steve called, then immediately regretted it. "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?"

"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken."

"Loki's sceptre must be here," Thor said, "Strucker couldn't mount this defence without it. At long last."

"At long last is lasting a little long, boys," Natasha complained, taking out a few soldiers near her.

"Yeah, I think we lost the element of surprise."

"Wait a second," Tony said, "is no one going to deal with the fact that Cap just said language?"

"I know," Steve sighed, launching his bike at an enemy Soldier, "it just slipped out."

Somewhere on the field, Valerie giggled.

A while later, Jarvis alerted them that the city seemed to be taking fire. "Send in the Iron Legion," Tony said.

To this day, Valerie was still in awe of the number of suits that zipped through the sky. "Cool," she whispered, watching them go by.

"Focus, Val," Clint said, and Valerie narrowly missed the arrow that took out her potential attacker.

"Sorry."

Valerie kept her focus on what was going on around her, her ears on the frequency and on the field.

She witnessed something throw Steve off his feet. "We have an enhanced in the field," Steve warned the rest.

"Clint's hit!" Natasha called.

Valerie scanned the area, waiting for this enhanced to come at her. She turned slowly, and something threw her over. "You didn't see that coming?" a boy with hair like snow asked, shooting her a smug grin.

"God, you are so slow," Valerie taunted.

Frowning, he made a move at the suit. He had superspeed, but Valerie was still somehow faster. While her suit went flying, Valerie stayed on the ground. She grabbed hold of his hand, then shot him a wicked grin. "Catch me if you can!" she called and seemed to vanish into the thin air. The enhanced was the only one who saw her, and that was because she was moving at the same speed he could.

Valerie kept him off everyone else, forcing him to chase her between the trees. She accidentally knocked Steve down a second time, barely pausing to offer an apology. The pause was all Steve needed to go dangerously near to a heart attack. Valerie tended to do that to him.

"WHERE IS YOUR SUIT?!"

"Where is whose suit?" Tony asked.

"Mine!" Valerie shrieked, ducking in time to avoid a branch the boy chasing her ran right into. She couldn't help it. She laughed.

"You insolent child," he said, a thick accent to his voice, as he noticed for the first time how young the hero he chased was. "What's a child doing on a battlefield?" he asked, wiping away blood from the scratch on his cheek.

"You're not that much older than me."

"I have skills."

"You just chased me all over the place at a speed unattainable by ordinary people," Valerie said, looking at the boy as if he were an idiot. "But that aside, bold of you to assume I don't have skills of my own."

"Oh, yeah?"

Valerie's fingertips crackled with electricity. They'd been doing that on and off for the last year. Thor swore up and down that he had nothing to do with it -- and Valerie believed him. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't going to try to master it -- whatever _it_ was. It seemed like harmless light, but she wasn't about to tell anyone it wasn't dangerous lightning.

The boy pointed his finger at her. "You one of Strucker's other experiments? I thought no one else survived."

Valerie frowned. The electricity fizzled out. "Strucker's experiments? What, like _you_?"

"My sister and I volunteered. We were the only survivors."

Keeping her eyes on the boy, Valerie put a finger to her ear. "Look out for a second enhanced. Female."

"You little --"

The arm of Valerie's suit made a comeback and she used it to fire a blast at the boy before she was suddenly the one chasing him. She couldn't wear the whole suit -- the Supernova wasn't built to travel at such high speeds -- but at least she had a weapon.

Valerie chased him until he stopped dead and she crashed into him. He turned and looked down at her. "Stay off the field. Stark will only get you killed."

"You're the one attacking."

"What's your name, kid?"

Valerie scowled as she stood up. "Why should I tell you?"

He shrugged. "Just want to know which headstone to look for when I come to say 'I told you so' in a while."

"God, you're such a _dick_."

"VALERIE!"

She winced at the sound in her earpiece. It was bad enough having them all yell at her when they were all in the flesh, but to have then yell over radio was even worse.

"I only mean to warn you. Stay away from Stark."

"Where am I meant to go, then?" She scoffed when all he did was raise his eyebrows and shrug. "My job entails knocking you down, not joining you."

"You're a child. You should be in school."

"So should you," Valerie countered, "and your sister."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He took off again. Valerie moved to follow, but she started to focus on what was happening over radio.

"Get to Banner," Steve was saying, "time for a lullaby."

"I got it!"Valerie used her newfound speed to get to Bruce first. She jumped and waved her arms, calling out to Bruce. He stopped smashing a tank to pieces and edged closer to her. "Hi, Papa Hulk!" she said brightly, smiling. She stretched her arm out as far as it could go. "Time to go home."

Her tiny hand seemed even smaller against the green palm. "Valerie so tiny."

"Papa so big," Valerie said with a smile.

Slowly, he shrank until Bruce was standing in front of Valerie again. "Hi, papa."

"Hi, angel."

The impact of running into the enhanced and then knocking her head on the ground slowly crept up on her. She found herself rather dizzy. She must've hit her head hard at some point. "Jarvis, where's the rest of my suit? Autopilot, please. I need a nap."

* * *

Valerie threw a fuss until they let her attend the party. She promised to get her homework done the next morning.

"I must say, little one," Thor told her, "excellent work today. Have a treat."

Valerie looked into the glass he held out. "Papa, I'm _twelve_."

"Ah! A growing child. Let me get you another."

"Papa!" Valerie cried, laughing.

Thor pulled her into a side hug. "I'm teasing, little one."

"Valerie," Steve said, "when you nearly ran into me, where was your suit?"

"The enhanced threw it across the field because I called him slow. Then he chased me around."

"He _chased_ you?" Natasha asked, "I thought he was too fast to be seen. How could he chase you?"

Valerie shrugged. "I was just as fast."

"How she does that amazes me," Maria said, staring at Valerie.

"Does what?" Rhodey asked.

"At first we thought she was just adapting traits of the people around her. After New York, she started throwing around phrases that sounded like they'd make more sense coming out of Dr Banner's -- or Stark's -- mouth. It made sense to us that she'd pick up on things people around her did. Then I found blueprints for a suit of armour."

Valerie smiled. "Mamaria helped me design my armour."

"I didn't think she had the intelligence or the resources to actually build a _functioning_ suit!" Maria defended. "She was ten!"

"It's really Papa Stark's fault because he gave me access to Jarvis."

"Throw me under the bus, why don't you."

Maria smiled. "Anyway, we've come to the conclusion that Valerie takes certain things from certain people. She must've had close contact with the Maximoff brother."

"So the sparking hands _could_ be from Thor?" Bruce asked.

"Unlikely," Thor said.

"She did tell me once that she was going to summon lightning and be really strong," Sam said.

"Yeah," Valerie agreed, "but I didn't take anything from Papa Thor. I took a lot from other people. But this has been going on since last year. It's sporadic, I don't know."

"You see what I mean about the genius thing?" Maria said, "I didn't even know what the word sporadic meant until . . .  what's it mean again?"

Tony frowned. "Jarvis did say she _appeared to demonstrate_ superior intelligence, but she didn't actually possess it, back when she hijacked the Supernova and flew to Triskellion."

"How do you do it?" Clint murmured, beginning to wonder if it perhaps _wasn't_ a natural knack for archery that she had.

"I don't know," Valerie confessed, "it's like I see someone who has a skill I admire and my brain goes 'hey, look, free superpowers!'. I don't know."

"Nothing in life is free, little one," Thor said.

"Everything is free if you flee fast enough."

"She beat me by _one_ second," Tony informed the rest.

"Wait, I have a question," Steve said, leaning forward. He gave Thor's hammer a quick glance. "If Valerie can . . . what is it? If she can mimic others, is it possible for her to lift the hammer?"

No one had an answer.

"Let's test it," Clint said.

Valerie shook her head.

"I'll do it if you do it."

"You just want an excuse to try," Valerie accused.

"True," Clint said, already walking up to the hammer. "I just don't understand how it works."

Thor settled comfortably on the sofa. "By all means, have a go."

Clint strained as he pulled up.

"Squak," Thor whispered in Valerie's ear as Clint's grip slipped and he flew backwards. She giggled.

Valerie nestled comfortably between Thor and the sofa, watching her parents strain as they tried to lift the hammer. When all who wanted were done, Thor gently pushed her off the couch. Sighing, Valerie stood on the table and grabbed hold of the hammer.

"If none of you was worthy, how am I going to be? I'm only twelve."

"That's exactly why you should be worthy," Tony said, "you haven't had much time to become a total screw-up like some of us."

"I think you should retract that," Maria said, "Valerie's her own level of mischievous."

"Reminds me of Loki when we were younger," Thor murmured.

They all turned to stare at Valerie, suddenly noting similarities between her and the God of Mischief that might not have even been there. It started with her appearance and quickly moved on to her behaviour.

"You don't think. . ." Maria began, trailing off without voicing the obvious question.

Valerie gave the hammer a tug. "Nope. Not worthy."

A loud shriek filled the floor, forcing everyone to cover their ears until it faded, and a misshapen suit of armour appeared before them.

"Worthy . . . No, how could you be worthy? You're all killers."

Valerie felt as if he was looking at her specifically.

"Jarvis," Tony said, waiting for his trusty AI.

"I'm sorry," the robot continued, "I was asleep -- or I was . . . a dream?"

Tony tapped one of his many devices. "Reboot. Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit."

"There was a terrible noise," the robot spoke as if there weren't a group of people standing stiffly -- some armed, "and I was tangled in -- in strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked.

Valerie gasped. _Jarvis. No wonder he's not answering._

"Wouldn't have been my first call. But down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?"

The robot halted, and Tony's recorded voice filled the area. " _I see a suit of armour around the world_."

"Ultron," Bruce said.

"In the flesh -- or no, not yet. Not this . . . chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

"What mission?"

"Peace in our time," Ultrom quoted Tony. The Iron Legion burst onto the floor, attacking. Valerie screamed and ducked under the table. She would have called for her suit, but Jarvis was down. She'd have to manually pilot the suit, but getting to it without being gunned down by one of the robots was next to impossible. But . . . like she had told the enhanced -- Pietro Maximoff -- she had gifts. They were stolen gifts, as Loki once told her, but they were gifts nonetheless.

For the first time in his life, Bruce saw what the Hulk looked like up close.

"WHAT _THE FUCK_ IS THAT?!" 

Bruce had never cursed before, and the young girl was so surprised, she nearly turned back into Valerie.

Maria glanced between the Hulk and Bruce several times. Whatever it was, it looked exactly like Bruce did when he let the Other Guy out, and it managed to mimic the Hulk's strength. The word mimic bounced around Maria's head as she fired with her back against Natasha's. "Oh, hell, it's Valerie!"

While Tony rapidly tried to shut down the Iron Legion, the others fought the robots down. Bruce had frozen in shock. _So this is what everyone else sees_ , he thought to himself. Just as Tony shut down the Legion, Steve hurled his shield through the last robot.

As the commotion died down, Valerie returned. Bruce made a mental note to ask her how she did that -- and how her ordinary clothes survived the transition back and forth.

"That was dramatic!" Ultron said. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to . . . evolve?"

Everyone watched the robot pick up one of the dismembered Legion suits. "With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."

Before he could get any further, Thor hurled his hammer through Ultron, smashing him to pieces.

Eerily, in the silence, Ultron sang. "I had strings but now I'm free. There are no strings on me, no strings on me." ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao Valerie got some mad skills yo


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh my God. I adopted Maximoff."

Valerie was hiding under the table in fear again. It had been a good three years since she had her parents arguing over one another in a lab; she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be so small in a room full of screaming adults.

"We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but, that up there?" Valerie glanced up when Tony pointed, "that's . . . that's the end game. How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together," Steve said.

"We'll lose," Tony whispered.

"We'll do that together too."

Valerie didn't like where the conversation was going. She didn't like the sound of fear in Tony's voice. She had always seen him as the bravest father she had, and she hated that she didn't want to accept that he could be afraid too.

* * *

Valerie, the tiniest Avenger, had volunteered to go in and spy.

Of course, no one agreed to that so she threatened to use Loki's magic on them until they agreed.

Valerie hung from the rafters, her suit providing the strength she needed to stay there. "You guys getting this?" she whispered.

"We got it, angel," Bruce said from the jet they'd left him in charge of. "Stay quiet, all right?"

Valerie winced when Ultron chopped off Klaue's hand, then apologised as if he had only tapped the man. Like a switch, Ultron flipped and kicked Klaue down the stairs. "Don't compare me with Stark! It's a thing with me. He -- he's a sickness!"

Valerie growled.

The twins looked up for the source of the sound, but Valerie was gone.

"Aw, junior. You're gonna break your old man's heart." Behind the landing Iron Man, Steve and Thor stood guard. Clint and Natasha hid around corners. Valerie stayed in the rafters.

"If I have to," Ultron said after a second.

"We don't have to break anything," Thor said.

"Clearly you've never made an omelette."

"He beat me by _one_ second," Valerie and Tony said.

Pietro stepped forward. "Ah, this is funny, Mr Stark. It's what, comfortable? Like old times?"

"This was never my life," Tony said.

"You can still walk away from this," Steve told the twins.

"Oh, we will," the sister, Wanda, assured him, her hands faintly glowing red. Valerie narrowed her eyes and the HUD zoomed in on Wanda's hand. "That feels familiar."

"What about it?" Bruce asked her.

"I'm not sure. . ."

"I know you've suffered," Steve began. Ultron cut him off with a loud groan, not unlike that of an annoyed teenager.

"Captain America. God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war. I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but . . ."

"If you believe in peace, let us keep it," Thor said.

"I think you're confusing peace with quiet,"

"Nuh-uh," Tony argued, "what's the Vibranium for?"

"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan!" Ultron waved a hand and the Iron Legion attacked.

Valerie bit her lip as she watched the chaos unfold. They'd made her promise not to get involved, but she wasn't about to stand by and watch a girl manipulate them all, while a boy flew by at the speed of light and knocked them off their feet. Knowing they'd give her hell about it later, Valerie opened her suit and dropped down onto Wanda before she could approach Tony. "Lay off my dad," she hissed, twisting Wanda's arm behind her back as far back as she could.

The witch cried out, and her brother came to her rescue. Valerie was quicker than she had been in Sokovia. Pietro might have had super speed, but Valerie had blackmailed each of her parents into teaching her to fight like them. She had Pietro's speed _and_ the techniques of over ten different people. The speedster had nothing on Valerie and her indestructible suit. She knew the colour made her a target, but what better way to draw fire than to light up the battlefield?

Eventually, Valarie managed to vanish from Pietro's sights. She stared at her hands. "Now, how does she do it?"

Valerie shrieked when Pietro found her.

"You're only going to get hurt," he said, holding her captive.

"So are you, Maximoff," she hissed before biting his hand. While distracted by the sharp pain in his hand, Valerie put the witch's magic to use and knocked him right through the container behind him. Pietro collided with his sister and the pair tumbled down. Valerie winced, but she never heard them hit the ground. She figured they were probably fine.

Eager to test put her newly acquired gifts, Valerie sped between her parents and the robots, blasting the turned Legion bots into pieces.

"Is that the Maximoffs?" Steve asked when Valerie blurted past and a wave of crimson energy tore the onslaught in half.

"I know that pink suit anywhere," Thor said, shaking his head, "that's our daughter."

Unfortunately, while Valerie focused her new abilities on Ultron's legion, Wanda had gotten back on her feet and was once again getting into the heads of the Avengers.

Pietro collided harshly with Valerie, and both fell from the landing. Valerie, with Wanda's gifts, managed not to hit the ground, but as soon as her feet touched, Pietro lunged at her.

"Why can't you see what is happening when you stay near Stark?!"

Valerie flipped him over. He stood up immediately. " _You're_ the one that keeps putting me in a chokehold, Maximoff!"

Valerie's parents -- the two that were still unaffected by Wanda, anyway -- knew better than to distract her when she faced off an opponent. Last time Steve had asked about dinner during a training session with one of Tony's bots, Valerie had nearly killed Steve with the bot. Still, they couldn't help getting distracted themselves by what their baby girl was saying and hearing.

"This is not your fight!" Pietro yelled, "this is no place for a young child like you!"

"I have _every right_ to be here! You and your sister joined forces with a deranged robot and you're attacking my family! This is my fight in all the worst ways!"

Pietro lunged for Valerie, determined to knock her down and keep her out of the fight. He had no idea why he was so determined to keep her safe. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that her fiery attitude reminded him of his sister.

Valerie still had the upper hand with her other gifts -- and she was dead set on knocking Pietro down to make sure he didn't stand in her way when she went for Ultron. He was the only one fast enough to block her off.

Valerie blocked and countered every attack Pietro made, getting in a few blows of her own. Neither backed down. Pietro was getting smarter, learning to use his only gift to counter all of hers.

Valerie began to laugh. Once she'd tapped into her stolen gifts, she quickly surpassed her trainers. It had been forever that she had been evenly matched in skill. Pietro frowned, but he hoped this amusement would distract Valerie long enough for him to subdue her. He knew Wanda could've done it in seconds and probably with much less pain, but Valerie wouldn't stay still long enough for that.

Something was happening over radio that Valerie wanted to focus on. Holding her hand out to Pietro in a gesture that told him to wait, Valerie put the other to her earpiece and listened.

Perfect, she was distracted.

Pietro ran full-speed into an invisible barrier.

"Ow," he muttered from the floor.

"Banner needs a lullaby," Tony was saying.

"That's not gonna happen." The response came from Clint. "The whole team is down. You have zero backup for this."

"I'm calling in Veronica."

"I can get there faster," Valerie said, ignoring the boy that was poking at her force field, watching it turn red wherever he applied force.

"You've been playing with me this whole time," Pietro accused, "you could've done this ages ago, yet you let me chase and fight you. Why?"

"I needed to let off a little steam," Valerie said with a shrug, taking to the stairs. "Hey, if you survive Ultron, you should swing by Stark Tower, I'd love to practice combat with someone as fast as I am."

"You stole your speed from me!" Pietro yelled as she left, grasping the idea of her mimicry faster than any of the Avengers.

When she reached the chaos, Valerie used Wanda's magic to pry Tony and the Hulk apart. "Stop it!" she cried, glaring daggers at Tony for a second.

The Hulk grew agitated and prepared to attack Tony. Valerie found herself in the air, held up by Tony. "Okay, do your thing, kid. I know you stole magic from the witch."

"You know me so well, papa," she said with a shake of her head before holding her hands out to Bruce and breaking whatever spell Wanda had put over him.

* * *

"Mama Laura!"

"Hi, Val."

Valerie wrapped her arms around Laura, still annoyed that the unborn child was in her way. Valerie gently prodded Laura's stomach. "Is baby Natasha awake?"

"She is . . . Nathaniel," Laura said, giving Natasha an apologetic grin.

Natasha leaned down until her head was level with Valerie's and Laura's stomach. "Traitor," she muttered.

Laura laughed.

"Can we go play?" Nicole asked, grabbing Valerie's hand. Laura nodded, having been thinking of a way to get her children back to their rooms so the Avengers could have their little dangerous discussions.

Callum grabbed Valerie's other hand. The siblings pulled her along. "Wait till you see what Nic and I have been up to. Mom says we should stop. I say we should make it bigger."

"What are you making?" Valerie asked.

"A pillow fort."

"Did you seriously call them 'smaller agents'?" Steve muttered to Tony.

"It's Valerie," Tony said flatly, "and _she_ was only nine when she pulled me from space. I have every right to assume all tiny beings are agents of some kind."

Steve sighed. "God, why do I put up with you?"

"Valerie," Tony said again, by way of explanation.

Thor stayed a moment before turning and leaving. Steve followed him out. Valerie watched from the bedroom window where she and the Barton siblings were playing in.

"Thor."

The Asgardian turned to Steve. "I saw something in that dream. I need answers, I won't find them here."

Without another word, Thor spun his hammer and took off.

"What's that you're wearing, Val?"

Valerie turned to Nicole. "It's my suit. It keeps me safe when I'm fighting with my parents."

"I wanna fight with them too."

Valerie smiled. "Maybe one day. Maybe I'll convince Pops to let you guys train with me, then you'll be strong enough to fight with me. We'll make our own team. The Junior Avengers."

"Yeah!" Callum said, punching the air, "we'll be even cooler than the Avengers!"

"Speaking of cool, I touched a witch today. Wanna see what she could do?"

Valerie spent the afternoon learning about Wanda's powers and entertaining Nicole and Callum.

* * *

Clint leaned on the rails of the staircase. "Dinnertime, you little monsters!"

The three children sprinted down the stairs, Valerie careful not to _sprint_. Clint set up three plates of food and three glasses of juice on the coffee table for them in the living room. "Enjoy your meal, monsieur and mademoiselles."

They laughed. "Thank you, Papa!"

Clint pointed at Valerie. "You're rubbing off on your siblings."

Valerie shrugged. "It's not my fault they love me."

To prove her point, Callum and Nicole squashed Valerie in a hug between them. Clint laughed as he left to join the adults in the kitchen.

Once they had finished their food, Nicole pulled out papers and crayons. Valerie pulled out her earpiece to fiddle with.

"What are you doing?" Callum asked, leaning on the table.

"I'm rewiring my earpiece. It keeps emitting a soft whining sound in my hear."

Callum dropped his head on Valerie's hand. She smiled. "I don't hear anything."

"That's because it's not in your ear, Cal. And anyway, it might just be outdated tech. It is more than three years old."

Nicole slid a drawing in front of Valerie. "You think Auntie Nat will like it?"

Valerie nodded. "She's gonna love it."

Nicole smiled proudly and got up to hand the butterfly to Natasha.

Much later, Laura ushered them all to bed. To Valerie's great disappointment, she found that her parents had left on a mission early morning -- without letting her know. She knew why. If they'd woken her up, she would've demanded they take her with, and while some may be able to turn a blind eye to Valerie's charms, none could resist her when she used magic she wasn't supposed to. Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't going to take the Supernova armour out, Valerie sat down to play with Callum and Nicole at the coffee table, while Laura relaxed on the couch and watched over them.

It was a few hours before she felt like something was off. "Mama needs help," she whispered to herself, soft enough that none of the Bartons heard. Frowning, she stood up.

"Where you off to, Val?" Laura asked, noticing the odd look on the young girl's face.

"Bathroom," Valerie lied, "I'm constipated."

Laura bit back a smile. "Okay. Yell if you need me."

Valerie smiled. "Of course, mama."

Twenty minutes later, Laura sent Nicole to check up on Valerie. Nicole came back to say the bathroom was empty and that Valerie was missing. Swearing under her breath, Laura scrambled for her phone.

* * *

In the tower, a group of five adults and two teenagers were yelling at each other about sticking Jarvis into the artificial body in the cradle. Silence fell over them quite suddenly, and Pietro hissed, clutching his head. Wanda hurried over to him immediately.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She looked around at the adults, and all of them were staring at nothing, standing still. "What . . . what is this?"

Thor appeared without warning and summoning lightning enough to fry everything in the room, he brought his hammer down on the cradle. The action shocked everyone out of their stupor, but Pietro was still squeezing his eyes shut. Wanda's worry steadily grew.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Thor said, pointing to Pietro, "but everyone else's Valerie senses are on high alert."

"What's that?"

"A thing," Tony explained eloquently, heading to a computer to track Valerie, "it goes off every time Valerie is about to do something mildly or heavily dangerous."

Clint got off the phone. "Laura says she saw her about thirty minutes ago. Said she was going to the bathroom and just vanished.

"What did you do to my brother?" Wanda asked.

"We did nothing," Bruce said, studying Pietro, "but Valerie might've."

"The child that fights with you?"

Without warning, Pietro sped off. Before anyone could react to that, something broke out of the cradle, knocking Thor back. Slowly, Thor stood up and stared at the red and silver android, and the gleaming yellow gem embedded in its forehead.

The android made for Thor, but Thor launched it right through the glass and across the floor of the tower. It slowed to a stop in front of the large, clear panels, hovering and staring at its reflection. Steve got ready to head towards the android, but Thor held out a hand to stop him. Setting the hammer down, Thor waited until the android turned and floated down to the floor, a green suit materialising over his body.

"That was . . . odd." He turned to Thor and studied Thor's red cape. A golden cape materialised around him. "Thank you."

Steve glanced at Thor. "You helped create this?"

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at its centre is that." Thor pointed to the yellow gem in the middle of the android's forehead.

"What, the stone?" Bruce asked.

"It's the Mind Stone. One of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities."

"Then why would you bring --"

"Because Stark is right."

"Oh, it's definitely the end of times," Bruce said.

"The Avengers cannot defeat Thanos."

"Not alone," the android said.

"Why does your . . . _vision_ sound like Jarvis?" Steve asked.

Tony stared at the android. "We . . . we reconfigured Jarvis' matrix to create something new."

"I think I've had my fill of new," Steve sighed.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron," it said to Steve.

"You're not?"

"I'm not Ultron. I'm not Jarvis either. I'm . . ."

Wanda stared at the android. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation."

"Look again."

Clint scoffed. "Yeah. Her seal of approval means jack to me."

Any further arguments were put on hold at the sound of a screaming Valerie. "I'll kill you! Put me down! Get your filthy paws off me! I'll bite you!"

Pietro unceremoniously dropped Valerie on the glass floor. Not yet aware that she was in the tower, Valerie let out a war cry and launched herself at Pietro. The pair was a blur until Pietro banged his head against Valerie's. Stolen superpowers and magic were no help in a solid hit to the head. Dizzy, Valerie stopped fighting.

"Oh, hello," she said, noticing everyone.

"What is this?" Wanda asked.

"I found Valerie."

"Who told you my name?" she hissed, holding a hand to her forehead.

"Oh, does that hurt?" he asked sarcastically, flicking the side of her head. "Maybe you'll get your stupid homing device out of my head."

"I never put anything in your head, asshole."

"LANGUAGE!"

Pietro and Valerie seemed to be ignoring everyone else again.

"What a lie," Pietro scoffed, "how do you think I found you?"

"I don't know. Maybe _you_ have a homing device on your powers. I didn't put anything in your head."

"You definitely did _something_ , you small pain in my ass."

"I don't even _like_ you!"

"Shocker," Pietro spat, "whatever you did, undo it. _Now_."

"I keep telling you, I didn't do anything. Why would I bond with _you_?! You try to strangle me every time I see you!"

"That is such an exaggeration! You lying thief!" Pietro cried, taking a step towards Valerie and jabbing a finger at her, "I was trying to knock you out, considering you don't want to stay off the battlefield!"

"Back off or I'll sting you, Maximoff!" Valerie yelled, pushing Pietro away. Without meaning to, Valerie channelled Wanda's magic, sending Pietro flying across the floor. "Stop watching over me like some hawk! I don't need a father as useless as you!" 

"I'm a great brother though!"

"Oh my God," Tony said, "Valerie adopted him."

"I did not!" Valerie cried.

"Explain his -- his --" Tony sputtered around for a better word before falling back on the term Valerie had coined "-- his Valerie senses!"

Valerie sat down on the floor. "Oh my God. I adopted Maximoff."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I love you like I love Wanda. I would not be able to lose a sister."

Valerie was ignoring Pietro. Pietro was avoiding Wanda. Wanda didn't know if she was hurt, angry, confused, or all three.

"I knew something about Wanda's powers were familiar," Valerie said, "it gave off the same energy I felt when I used Loki's sceptre. I guess now we know why."

Thor nodded. "Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself, they all came from the Mind Stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash. But with it on our side--"

"Is it?" Steve asked. He turned to the android. "Are you?"

The room was silent.

"On our side," Steve clarified.

"I don't think it's that simple."

"It better get real simple real soon," Valerie said, "I have a mama to save, and if you all don't stop dawdling around, I'm going to try to get to Sokovia by myself again."

"The child is right, we must act --"

"Don't call me a child, Vision, you were born hours ago."

The android turned to Valerie. "What did you call me?"

"You said you don't have a name. You're not Ultron. You're not Jarvis. But you are Papa Thor's vision. So. . ." Valerie shrugged.

"I am the Vision, then," he said, nodding. "The . . . the _young one_ is right. We must act quickly. I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique, and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the earth, so he must be destroyed. Every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the net, we have to act now. And not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are, and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me. But we need to go."

Everyone stared at the hammer he held out to Thor. Valerie's jaw hit the ground. Thor grasped the handle and the Vision walked off. "Right," Thor said, following. He clapped Tony's shoulder as he passed by. "Well done."

"Three minutes," Steve told everyone present. "Get what you need. Valerie . . . just . . . just stay safe, all right?"

The Avengers dispersed. Wanda grabbed the wrists of Pietro and Valerie and dragged them behind her. "Explain yourselves. What is this . . . _relationship_ you have?"

Valerie folded her arms and turned away from Pietro. "There is nothing."

"There is something," Pietro argued, "and if you won't get rid of it, work with it. I'm not prepared to stop mid-run to turn around and save your ass because your reckless behaviour splits my skull open."

Valerie turned around and opened her mouth. Wanda cut her off. "I don't care whether you think there is something or not. It's there. You didn't see what happened. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Those people out there, they turned into statues. Pietro almost fell over. Whatever hold you have on them, it binds you to them, and them to you. Stop throwing yourself in the line of fire. It distracts the rest of them. I can't have my brother distracted by _you_."

"Wanda --"

"Look, I don't know how this thing formed. If I knew, I'd have gotten rid of it by now. You think I want your brother seeing me across the country like I'm holding up a neon sign? You think I want your brother swooping in like I'm a weak little girl who needs to be looked after? I stole things from you too, but I don't see _you_ suffering about this bond problem."

"Maybe it's because I think you're a waste of resources on the battlefield."

"Wanda--"

" _I'm_ a waste of space? I'm not the one that teamed up with a homicidal robot."

"No, but you were the one that tried to travel to Sokovia on your own and for what? To--"

"To save my mother, you dumb asshat!"

Pietro would have been fast enough to stop Wanda if she struck first, but Valerie lashed out before he could blink, and Wanda flew out the door. The crash as she knocked the door down brought the Avengers back out.

Pietro knew he was fast enough to get between Valerie and Wanda, but would he survive being _hit_ by one of them? He'd never seen his sister so furiously abuse her magic, and he was certain Valerie was worse.

Valerie restricted herself to just Wanda's gifts, and the pair moved around in a mass of red energy. After a second, Valerie threw even that down and physically attacked Wanda, going for her loose hair and pulling hard. Wanda cried out and flipped Valerie over. She attempted to use her mind games on Valerie, but the younger girl's eyes flashed yellow and Wanda stilled.

"Get off," Valerie hissed, "my back."

Wanda was just about steaming as Valerie stormed off, ignoring the concerned looks her fathers gave her.

"Wanda," Pietro said softly, stepping closer to his sister.

"What?" she snapped.

"If you can't play nice with Valerie . . . maybe we should sit this out."

"Excuse me? Did you just -- whose side are you on?"

Pietro sighed. There was no winning with either of them. "She's their daughter. She is going whether you like it or not. You can stay back, and I'll stay with you."

"I am not a child that needs to be babied. Unlike the brat, I have some level of maturity."

Pietro studied his sister. "All right. Just don't provoke her. She's got our skills combined and more. She's violent and brash and I would not trust her with your life. Besides, she hates us. Well, you more than me."

"You are really _not_ helping."

* * *

Valerie sulked in the lab as she modified the Supernova to travel at the speed she could.

"Kid."

"What."

"Don't you 'what' me, I'll keep your gift to myself."

Valerie turned around and caught something Tony tossed at her. "Jocasta? What's that?"

"Plug it in," Tony said, starting up Jarvis' replacement.

"Good evening, boss," Friday said.

Frowning slightly, Valerie copied Tony and inserted the chip in her suit. The helmet flickered to life. Something scanned Valerie. The helmet projected a blue oscillogram. "Nova, a--"

"Can I call you Joe?" Nova asked excitedly.

"A bit on the masculine side, but sure. Whatever suits you."

Valerie smiled. "Nice. Thank you, papa."

"That's your birthday present. Don't come asking me for it later."

Valerie slid off her chair and walked up to Tony's, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Now go have fun. Make sure your suit works fine."

* * *

Pietro hated it. But it was inevitable. As the only one who could mimic Wanda's powers, Valerie was given the same task. That meant he had to leave his sister alone with Valerie. He wasn't sure who he was more worried about.

Valerie's _suit_ was standing sentry near Wanda as she sped through the town, getting into the minds of many and making them evacuate. Between herself and Wanda, half the town was safely evacuated.

Valerie returned, her hands still giving off a faint red glow. "Can you manage the rest?"

"Where are you going?" Wands asked as Valerie jumped back into her suit. "I thought the Supernova couldn't travel as fast as you."

"It can't -- yet, anyway -- but it can fly and I found my mother."

Wanda stared for a second at Valerie. "I can take it from here."

"Thank you."

Valerie once again left her suit standing sentry and watching her back as she moved through the dark and dreary dungeons -- for lack of a better term. Eventually, she found the gate. "Mama!"

She called for Natasha a few more times until the redhead stirred and rushed to the gate. "What are you doing here, Valerie?"

"Saving you and Sokovia," Valerie said, tugging at the gate. She gave it a few more tugs before yanking as hard as she could. The hinges gave way and the gate broke off with enough space for Natasha to fit through.

Valerie hugged Natasha tightly. "I tried to come find you a while ago. Maximoff found and took me back to the tower."

"Any way we can get back to the city fast enough?"

"I have _one_ idea. . ."

Natasha regretted every second. She knew Valerie wouldn't consciously drop her out of the sky, but it was still somewhat terrifying to be floating mid-air with no visible support. Valerie, however, was more than confident in her magic. She dropped Natasha off in the town and disappeared to damage some robots. Everything was fine until the ground began to shake.

"Sokovia's going for a ride," Friday informed the team.

Valerie ditched her suit once again -- this time ordering Jocasta to pilot it in combat mode -- and sped through the town, getting as many civilians off the rising city as she could. Equipped with some variation of flight, Valerie was playing some kind of pass-the-parcel with Pietro. He would speed through the city and Valerie would carry them down to safe ground.

All the while, she focused on the conversation Tony was having with Friday. It would have been a private conversation if Jocasta hadn't been wired from the same source.

"The anti-gravs are rigged to flip. Touch 'em, they'll go full reverse thrust. The city's not coming down slow."

She could hear the gears turning in her father's head. "The spire's Vibranium. . ."

"If Thor can hit it," Valerie said, "the thing would crack."

"Not enough," Jocasta added her input, "the impact would be devastating."

"Unless you cap the other end," Valerie said.

"Keep the atomic action doubling back," Tony finished Valerie's thoughts.

"That could vaporise the city and everyone on it," Friday said.

Over radio, Steve asked for any ideas.

"We have one," Valerie said, "but you're not gonna like it."

"Well, nothing great," Tony said, "maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear."

"I asked for a solution, not an escape plan."

"Impact radius is getting bigger every second," Valerie said. There was a pause over the radio. "We're going to have to make a choice."

When Valerie rose back to the city to grab someone else from Pietro, she found her wrist in his grasp. "Everyone can't be off the city already, Maxomiff."

"Don't do anything suicidal."

Valerie scoffed. "As if I would ever."

"I mean it. You're a superhero's daughter. Might not be in your blood, but it's in your nature. If you die up here . . . look, I don't know what you did to me, but I love you like I love Wanda. I would not be able to lose a sister."

Valerie gave him a smirk. "I'll be fine, Maximoff. I'm a superhero, remember?"

Pietro scoffed. "Yeah, with stolen superpowers."

Valerie winked. "Go and fetch someone to save, Maximoff."

Before Pietro could leave, Valerie recognised the sound of a Shield helicarrier.

"Papa!" she cried, excitement lighting up her crystal eyes as she caught sight of the ship.

"I dusted off a few mothballs," Nick said over radio, "but she'll do."

"This is Shield?"

Valerie turned to the boy beside her. "It's what Shield's supposed to be."

Pietro shrugged. "Not so bad."

"All right, new plan, Maximoff. Get people to the carrier instead."

Pietro nodded and the pair of speedsters split.

"Hey, what about a heat seal from below?" Valerie asked.

"Calculating," Jocasta and Friday said.

"With enough power," Friday began.

"A heat seal could work."

"Thor, I got a plan!" Tony said.

"We're out of time. They're coming for the core."

"Rhodey, get the rest of the people on the carrier," Tony said, "Avengers, time to work for a living."

They all headed to the church. Pietro skidded to a stop beside Wanda. "You good?"

"Yeah."

"If Ultron gets a hand on the core," Tony told them, "we lose."

Steve's gaze raked over the team. He passed over Valerie before snapping back to her. "Valerie. Where is your suit?"

"Acting as an added team member," Valerie said, pointing to the dark suit that flew across the city, knocking drones down.

"You're a neon target without that suit," Pietro said, rolling his eyes.

Valerie pulled a face at him. "It draws fire from the rest of you, so shut up."

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Okay, break it up!" Wanda yelled, getting between the pair and pushing them apart. Pietro calmed down and Valerie hissed at Wanda.

The Avengers couldn't shake the feeling that Valerie 'adopting' Pietro was going to cause them some level of constant migraines. They weren't sure if Ultron showing up was _such_ a bad thing, considering Valerie wasn't bickering with the twins anymore.

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor yelled up at Ultron.

The robot raised his arms and an army of slightly smaller robots joined him.

"You had to ask," Steve muttered.

"This is the best I can do," Ultron said, "this is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"

"Like the old man said," Tony said, "together."

The Avengers launched into an attack, forming a ring around the core. "They'll try to leave the city," Thor said as some began to retreat.

"They can't," Valerie said, "not even one."

"Rhodey!" Tony called.

"On it," Rhodey said, taking out rogue robots.

"We gotta move out," Steve said a while layer, "even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked.

"I'll protect it," Wanda said, "it's my job."

Nodding to her, the Avengers left the church. Wanda turned to her brother. "Get the people on the boats."

Pietro opened his mouth to argue. Valerie put her hand on his arm. "I'll stay with Wanda."

"If _either_ of you die," Pietro warned, narrowing his eyes and pointing at each girl in turn. 

"We won't," Valerie promised.

"Come back for us when everyone is off, not before," Wanda said, "Understand?"

"You know, I'm twelve minutes older than you."

Wanda smiled.

"Move your ass, Maximoff."

"And I'm four years older than _you_."

With a final smile at his sisters, Pietro vanished. An unspoken agreement passed between the two; they rained hell on Ultron's sentries. At one point, Valerie blasted Wanda with her own powers and with the surge of energy, Wanda released a shockwave that killed all the advancing wave of robots.

Valerie laughed as a new wave approached. "Build up your strength, we're going to do that _again_!"

Valerie heard Friday speaking to Tony. "Boss, power levels are way below opt--"

"Re-route everything," Tony said, "we got one shot at this."

Valerie bit her lip as she decapitated a robot.

"Go help your father," Wanda said, "I can manage."

"I never said --"

"You didn't have to. I can feel it."

Valerie hesitated.

"Go. We won't tell Pietro."

Valerie cracked a grin before making an exit nearly identical to Pietro's. Wanda furrowed her eyebrows and focused on protecting the core. Valerie found Tony seconds after he called Thor back to the church. Hovering below Tony as he shot a beam from his arc reactor, Valerie summoned the energy that had been dancing around her fingertips all year and directed it at her father.

"Power at six hundred percent capacity," Friday said.

Not stopping to question it, Tony directed all the energy into the heat seal. "Now!"

Up in the church, Thor brought the hammer down hard. Almost in slow motion, Valerie saw the cracks run across the surface of the planet.

 _Wanda_. She'd left Wanda alone. Valerie suddenly realised she was falling, but she didn't have the strength to stop herself. All she wanted to do was fall asleep, but her guilt at having left Wanda when Pietro was trusting her to stay wouldn't let Valerie rest.

She vaguely registered herself coming to a stop and then slowly drifting down. She caught a glimpse of the city, and then she passed out.

When Valerie came to, she was surprised -- to say the least -- to see Wanda sitting at her bedside. Well, sitting would be inaccurate. The witch in question was sprawled in a chair that seemed intent on swallowing her whole, asleep. Valerie had barely shifted when Wanda woke, frantic eyes scanning the room until she realised Valerie was still tucked in.

"How do you feel?"

"You're okay."

Wanda nodded. "Vision got me off before the city exploded. You fell out of the sky. Your suit is damaged beyond repair. I tried to catch you. I managed to stop you from falling, but I couldn't move you. The city was . . . the suit shielded you and took most of the heat. I got you out okay, all things considered. Your left arm is broken and you have hairline fractures on three of your ribs. You'll -- you'll live."

Painfully, Valerie sat up. She rubbed her chest, wincing. "That's not pain from a fracture."

"No," Wanda agreed, shaking her head.

"What happened?"

"Pietro. He -- he --"

"Oh _no_ ," Valerie whispered.

Nick came in a few minutes later to check on Valerie and found her with her arms tightly wrapped around Wanda. He decided to leave them be. When he returned much later to ask the girls if they wanted dinner, Valerie and Wanda were asleep, hands held tight in mutual grief over their lost brother.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ai, I made me sad


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Peter! We must protect her from the horrors of high school."

"We have come to a decision," Natasha said.

Valerie dragged her gaze around the room at each of her parents in turn. She looked to the corner of the room, where Wanda stood quietly, arms folded, leaning against the wall.

"You deserve a childhood."

"I _have_ a childhood," Valerie said, "my childhood is growing up with the most loving and caring people I know."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. Valerie shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"I'll applaud that flattery," Natasha said, "but we're not changing our minds. Over the last three weeks -- counting the one you spent comatose -- we've searched far and wide until we've decided where to send you."

"Where to _send_ me?"

"You're a science whiz, Valerie, you'll fit right in. Anything else isn't worth your time. You'll attend the seventh grade at Midtown School of Science and Technology --"

"You're sending me to Queens?! What's in _Queens_?"

"Normal life," Rhodey said, "and we're not sending you away, you're taking a break from . . . avenging. This last thing almost got you killed. Tony's bought a place in Queens so you don't have to travel far. With Shield's files gone, Laura and Clint think it's safe to come out of their little farm. You'll stay with them. The house is nothing less than what you're used to. It's homey, cute, not too big, perfect for you guys."

Tony cleared his throat.

Rhodey nodded. "It also has a basement lab and an adjacent training centre."

Valerie considered it.

"You obviously can't say no," Tony said, "but to make it more appealing, Jocasta is wired into the place like Jarvis was and Friday is over here."

"You need to make friends, babygirl," Nick said gently, kneeling in front of Valerie. It always surprised everyone how soft and gentle he was with Valerie. Often, it seemed as if he was the most gentle man they'd ever known, when they knew he could be pretty ruthless. It was probably him that Valerie got her innocent façade from.

"I have friends," Valerie argued, pouting.

"What you have is a bunch of adults that care a lot about you, a teenager that wants to look after you --" Wanda scowled "-- and an android robot that -- by some miracle -- has developed a fondness towards you. You need to make friends. You need to be around people your age. Hell, you need to make some enemies that _don't_ legitimately want to murder you."

"But I'm happy. I like being with you guys. I like learning at my own pace. I like living in the Avengers facility. I want to stay here, papa."

"The further you are from superheroes, the safer you are. Don't worry, we're planning a secret sweet sixteen birthday party where we officially welcome you to the Avengers. Stark completely furnished the lab in Queens for you to continue working on your suit and the training room to keep fit. Of course, you might not even use those when you make some friends. Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have Barton and his family if all else fails -- which I doubt it will."

Valerie hissed at Nick. He chuckled. "Goose."

"Quack."

"That's a duck, babygirl. Now, you'll go to school nicely?"

"Fine," Valerie grumbled, "but you gotta promise me that the Supernova has a permanent spot with the Avengers. Deal?"

Nick held out his hand in front of Valerie. She shook it. "Deal."

A week later, Valerie sat in the principal's office to write a placement test. Clint had been the one to take her there and proudly boast that she should be put in the twelfth grade. Valerie found him amusing, and he was enjoying the theatrics. The principal agreed to a placement test, or he would have to send Valerie to Midtown Secondary.

Valerie frowned at the final question, biting the back of her pencil. She could hear Nick telling her to stop.

"It's all right if you don't know all the answers, Ms Barton," the principal said gently.

"I know, Mr Morita. It's not that I don't know, it's that I'm not sure I'm reading the question right."

"Do you want some help?"

Valerie shook her head. "Not unless you're certain what the atomic mass of Uranium is."

"The . . . the atomic mass of . . . let me see your questions, please."

Valerie handed the test to the principal, waiting for his response. He flipped through the test, frowning deeper as he went on. "Ms Barton, this is twelfth-grade chemistry. You were only supposed to answer the first ten questions on eighth and ninth grade work."

Valerie shrugged. "I spend a lot of time with my P-- Uncle Bruce. He works with chemistry a bit. I was enjoying the challenge."

"Well, it looks like you are indeed gifted. While your academic level is certainly way up high, I don't think you'd fit in very well with the older kids."

"Eighth grade works for me."

"I was thinking of ninth. I don't want to put you in the graduate class, but I also don't want to undermine your intelligence. Your father mentioned that you were homeschooled all this time?"

Valerie nodded. "I learnt a lot about anything I wanted. My father had a schedule for me, based on what kids my age should know. When I was done with that, he let me roam around and read whatever I wanted until he got the next year's schedule. It was fun."

Principal Morita nodded. "You can continue like that here too. Feel free to visit our library or our labs once you've completed any assigned homework and tasks. I'm sure you'll do Midtown High very proud."

Valerie beamed. "Thank you, sir."

"Shall I get one of the ninth graders to take you to class?"

Valerie hesitated for a second before nodding. "Yes, please."

Principal Morita guided Valerie out of his office and into the hallway. Lucky enough, he caught sight of a student walking by. "Leeds!"

The boy halted and turned around. "I have a hall pass!"

"I wasn't -- come here."

Valerie watched the boy that walked towards them. He was slightly taller than her, but not by much. Valerie thought he looked like a teddy bear. She wondered if he gave as good hugs as the Hulk could. At least she knew for sure the boy wouldn't crush her by mistake. His hugs probably felt like sinking into marshmallow heaven. Not that Bruce's didn't, of course. The Hulk was big and those awkward hugs he gave made Valerie feel safe and secure, but when Bruce hugged her, it was soft and gentle and she often felt like going to sleep right away.

And now Bruce was missing.

"Ms Barton, this is Edward Leeds. He'll show you around. Be nice to each other."

With that, the principal left them in the hallway. Valerie shook herself from her thoughts of the missing Bruce Banner when the boy spoke to her.

"Hi, I'm Ned. Well, yeah, I'm Edward Leeds, but I prefer Ned. Everyone calls me Ned. What's your name?"

"Valerie."

"That's cute. Can I call you Val?"

Valerie smiled. "Yeah. Sure. Are you in the ninth grade?"

"Yup. You're new, huh? Come on, I'll show you where the class is. Hey, maybe you can hang out with me and my friend Peter during lunch. You'll like Peter, he's a really nice guy."

As they walked, Ned pointed things he remembered out to Valerie, like the frames on the walls and the trophies in the cabinet they passed.

"Hey, what's your locker number? I hope it's near mine, that means I won't have to hunt it down with you."

Valerie smiled as she checked the paper Principal Morita had given her. Once she found it, she read the number off.

"Hey, that's right next to Peter's! I've got the one on the other side of Peter's locker. This is great, I can show you where it is, it's on the way to the chemistry lab. Oh, you're gonna love the chemistry lab. . ."

As they walked, Valerie grudgingly admitted that maybe her parents were right. She _did_ need friends.

They'd told her that she would be safest if she kept her abilities quiet, but they also told her that her secrets were hers to tell at her own discretion. Clint, who was her legal father, posed as her only father solely so that she could be enrolled in the school without having too many questions. She was free to tell whoever she wanted about her affiliations with the Avengers. Valerie had decided by herself to keep everything quiet. After all, they'd sent her to Queens to live a normal life.

And what _normal_ twelve-year-old kid had eight superhero dads, two superhero moms, one normal mom, three normal siblings, one witch sister and one android brother?

* * *

"Sorry, Mr Cobbwell. Principal Morita gave me a task."

Valerie peered around Ned and stared at the tall teacher. Reflexively, Valerie grabbed the strap of Ned's bag and held tight. Ned jumped slightly and turned halfway. He smiled at Valerie and ushered her forward. "This is Valerie Barton."

"Ah, the new student. I assumed you'd be in the eighth grade. My mistake. Please find a seat."

Valerie leaned forward to look at the class around Ned. Suddenly, school seemed more daunting than beheading an Ultron sentry. Ned tugged Valerie along. "There's an open seat behind me and Peter. You can sit there."

Valerie nodded. She was silent all through chemistry and remained so as she followed the chattering Ned and Peter to their next class, science. As Valerie's self-declared tour guide, Ned introduced Valerie to Mr Harrington before showing her to an open spot in the classroom, once again behind himself and Peter.

Peter, who had only ever seen Valerie in her silence, was thoroughly shocked to see her progress throughout the lesson. It started when Mr Harrington used the Iron Man suit in an example. Valerie didn't want to speak up in the classroom. She wasn't sure what the reaction would be. So she kept silent.

Of course, Valerie's strong personality broke through her fear and she felt compelled to correct Mr Harrington's mistakes. She sat in her seat, biting down her words -- and maybe her tongue too.

"So, like in our example, if we factor in the weight of iron in Mr Stark's Iron Man suit we can . . . we can . . . uh . . . Ms Barton, are you all right?"

Valerie nodded. "Mhm."

"You're looking a bit . . . _red_? Are you sick? Upset?"

The children in the class snickered to themselves.

"I'm not," Valerie insisted.

"You get a funny look on your face every time I mention the Iron Man suit."

Valerie really tried not to yell at her teacher. She really did. "That's because it's made of nitinol! Not _iron_! Well, the _first_ suit was made of iron, but that was because he had nothing else to work with. The most recent suit is made of nitinol, which is a nickel-titanium alloy that's light enough not to drag P-- Mr Stark down during flight."

Mr Harrington blinked a few times at Valerie. "I . . . did not know that. How do you know that?"

 _Shit_. "My dad's job took us to Stark Tower a couple of times."

"You've met Iron Man?!" someone in the class shouted.

"I've met Iron Man's personal AI," Valerie corrected. Something told her to keep her relations with the Avengers as quiet as she could. "That's how I learnt all of this."

"All right, as interesting as all this is, we still need to discuss gravitational forces."

As Mr Harrington continued, changing his example to the Iron Man Mark I suit, Peter leaned towards Valerie. "Did you really meet Mr Stark's AI?"

"Yeah, Jarvis and I were best friends."

"Cool," Ned whispered.

Valerie smiled. Peter and Ned were her friends, she decided, whether they liked it or not. She liked them.

* * *

"Why are you so tiny?" Ned blurted.

"I'm only twelve. I'll be thirteen soon."

Peter frowned, counting on his fingers. "Hang on, why are you in _our_ class?"

"Morita said I'm too advanced for eighth grade and too small for twelfth grade, so he put me in ninth grade."

"You're so small," Ned whispered. He turned to Peter so fast, Valerie wondered how he didn't snap his own neck. "Peter! We must protect her from the horrors of high school."

"I can take care of myself," Valerie said with a laugh, thinking about the robots and Hydra soldiers she'd faced, not to mention all her years of combat training.

"Maybe, but not against high school. In here--"

"Hey, Penis Parker!"

Peter sighed and turned his head down. Valerie scanned the cafeteria, searching for whoever had yelled out. She finally found the boy, standing on one of the benches and laughing like he'd made the greatest joke ever.

Valerie narrowed her eyes. So many superpowers dashed through her mind. She could fry him with lighting. She could change a few shades green and launch him off the school. She could stick a nightmare in his head. She could probably pants him and get back to her seat before anyone noticed. In the end, Valerie decided a little wickedness was in order. She watched with a gleeful smile as the boy and his friends all scrambled from a snake no one else could see. They really did look like fools.

Peter was frowning at them and wondering what the hell was going on. Ned was staring at Valerie and the golden dust dancing around her fingers. "She's _so_ _cool_."

Eyes sparkling with mischief, Valerie held a finger to her lips and smiled at Ned.

High school was going to be _awesome_. ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some cutsie moments of Valerie being a real kid.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Valerie is another name you were given when you met your new family. Your name is Nova."

As it turns out, high school had its ups and downs. Valerie wasn't quite used to having a solid deadline for her work, so she often ended up handing it in on the last day. Peter had offered to help her, but it wasn't that she struggled to get the task done, she just kept forgetting about it.

"Val, Peter's talking to you."

Valerie shook her head. "Sorry, I was . . . daydreaming about the Avengers."

Ned grinned. "Understandable. Listen, I'm going over to Peter's today to just play some games or something. It's tradition. We hang out for the whole weekend after the first week of school. Seeing as you've been adopted by us, Peter just gave you a formal invite."

Valerie's mind hung on Ned claiming that she was the one who was adopted. It was a strange phrase to her, but she liked it nonetheless. She smiled. "I'd love to!"

"Great! So, Peter's Aunt May usually lets me sleep over, so Peter and I usually sleep on the couches."

"You can sleep in my room or if you're small enough, the single couch."

"Yeah, and Saturday night, there's a spare bedroom at my place you can use."

"Er . . . _sleepover_?"

"Yeah," Ned said, "Aunt May's gonna love you -- well, she already does. Peter talks about you _almost_ as often as he talks about me."

Valerie rolled her eyes. "I'm so flattered, Leeds. Well, this all sounds very interesting, but I'll have to run it by the adults. Papa gets antsy if I disappear."

"No problem," Peter said, "I'll walk you home. If he's okay with it, then I'll wall you back to my place. If not, then Ned will be upset he never got to say adieu."

Valerie smiled. "Thank you, but I was just gonna call him."

"Oh. Okay, that works too, I guess."

Valerie glanced down at her empty tray. "See you in class?"

The boys nodded and Valerie got up to leave the cafeteria. Peter and Ned shared a glance before following Valerie. They were eager to know soon if their new friend would soon become their new best friend.

Valerie turned the corner and leaned into the wall as she held the ringing phone to her ear.

"Hi, Papa!" she greeted brightly.

"Val, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's great! Um, so remember those friends I told you about? They have this cute little tradition where after the first week of school, they spend the weekend hanging out."

"Like a sleepover?"

Valerie hesitated. "Yeah. Tonight at Peter's, tomorrow at Ned's."

"And Sunday night here?"

"What? No. Well, not unless Mama Laura doesn't mind. The house is a bit full with Nate. . ."

"I'll ask her for you."

Valerie smiled. "Thanks, Papa."

Peter and Ned grinned at each other, hoping that meant she would be joining them.

"Papa . . . Any word on . . . on the missing Quinjet?"

There was silence from Clint for a while. "Not that I know of. Maybe you should call Steve and find out? Or Nat, maybe. They might know more. I'm on official leave with my family, you know."

Valerie smiled. "I know, Papa. I know. I'll come by later today to grab some clothes, okay?"

"All right, kid."

"Love you."

"Love you mo-- Nicole says she loves you the most and now she and Callum are fighting over who loves their adoptive sister the most."

Valerie laughed. "Bye, Papa."

Peter and Ned almost tripped over each other as they left before Valerie walked back, comically trying to regain their balance with silenced yelling. Valerie tapped the phone Tony had given her against her palm a few times before sighing and putting it in her pocket. Then she headed to class.

* * *

Peter and Ned walked Valerie home. Initially, Clint was picking her up and dropping her off, but Peter lived a few streets down in an apartment block and once he offered to walk with her, she hadn't been driven to and from school again. Peter always waited at the stop street near her house when walking to school and waited until she was gone before heading home. Ned was jealous he lived in the opposite direction.

"You guys coming in?" Valerie asked, turning her key in the door, "I swear I won't kidnap and torture you in my basement."

The boys grinned at her before walking up the steps.

Valerie opened the door to the sounds of chaos. Callum and Nicole clearly had no extra-curricular activities today.

"Your saviour has arrived!" she announced, opening her arms, "and she brought friends!"

Whatever they'd been arguing about was gone as Callum and Nicole rushed to hug Valerie. Once they were done greeting their sister, they stared at the boys behind her. "These are my friends I talk about all the time. Peter and Ned."

"I'm Nicole. I'm Val's favourite sister."

"You're her _only_ sister," Callum said.

"Nuh-uh. I'm _your_ only sister. Val adopts random people, remember?"

Valerie gave Peter and Ned a sheepish smile. "So, you can stand here and be interrogated by my siblings, or you can come with me and admire my curtains while I throw a few things into a bag."

Peter and Ned shared a glance.

"Do they like free hugs?"

"I like hugs!" Callum cried, launching himself at Ned without any further warning.

"Ned! You've never given me any hugs!"

"Inconceivable! I give everyone hugs."

"Come to think of it," Peter said, "I think Val is right."

"Val?" Clint called as he walked from the kitchen, "is that you?"

Valerie wandered further into the house, smiling when she found Clint -- half-covered in flour. "I'd hug you, but I'm not prepared to torture myself with getting flour out of my hair."

"That's fair."

Peter and Ned followed to greet Valerie's father. Their jaws dropped.

"Hawkeye," Ned squeaked, almost dropping Callum.

"Oh, yeah, there's that. I'm gonna grab my stuff. Try not to freak each other out."

Clint shot his daughter a grin. "Hey, who wants to hear about the first time Valerie picked up a bow and arrow?"

"Ugh, shoot me," Valerie muttered as she left, vividly remembering somehow managing to miss the whole target and fire an arrow straight into Laura's plum pie, splattering the woman with what was once a plum pie. Laura laughed at the pie now, and back then, Clint had laughed at Valerie's amazing skills.

"Afternoon, Joe."

"Sup."

"I'm going out for a sleepover. I'll be taking you with in my headset, but you're on standby unless I'm talking to you."

Valerie could've sworn Jocasta was smirking. "Don't want your friends to know about your superior tech?"

"Don't make me shut you down. Also, I'll be gone all weekend. Please keep Nicole and Callum out of the lab."

"Laura and Clint?"

"They shouldn't really have a _reason_ to go down there, but I don't think they'd damage anything. Listen, you're still wired into the new compound and Papa Stark's place, right?"

"Of course."

"Can you call . . . can you call. . ."

Jocasta ran through Valerie's contacts while Valerie frowned over who to call.

"Down the hall," Clint told Ned and Peter, "she painted their names on the doors, you can't miss hers. Just knock first, she usually has to create a pathway for any visitors."

Ned chuckled. "Peter's like that too. He--"

" _Ned_!" Peter hissed.

Thanking Clint, the boys wandered down the hall, admiring the decorative doors as they went. Eventually, they came to a stop outside the one with Valerie's name painted on it. Ned raised his hand to knock, but Valerie was talking to someone.

"You're an AI, you should be able to connect to Friday. He always has Friday in his ear anyway."

Curious, both boys put their ears to the door.

"Nova, he's not there."

"Bullshit. And my name's Valerie. Fine. Do they have anything new on at least the jet's location?"

"Nothing," Jocasta said.

"Papa Thor?"

"Still roaming the universe. No one knows where."

"C'mon, Joey, you gotta give me _something_."

"I'm sorry, Nova. They have nothing."

Peter and Ned jumped when they heard Valerie give a frustrated cry, followed by something that sounded like metal crashing. " _Shit_ ," they heard Valerie mutter. Over in the kitchen, Jocasta notified Clint what the crash was so that he didn't have to rush over to investigate.

Ned knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Ned opened the door to find the room empty of Valerie, although a lot of her things were strewn around. "Sorry about the mess, I usually clean up after school."

The boys frowned and looked around, wondering where Valerie's voice was coming from. Her head popped up on the other side of the bed. She gave them a bright smile, resting her chin on the pale pink bedsheets. "Did Papa scar you?"

"A little," Ned said honestly, "did you really almost stab yourself with an arrow?"

"In my defence, I was eight."

"Why are you on the floor?" Peter asked, acting as if he had no idea she'd broken something.

"Oh, I dropped an old trophy."

"Let me help," Peter said, walking over.

"No, I've just about got it all."

Peter stood behind Valerie and watched her scoop the last bits of a glass award into a plastic bag. "Oh, all right."

"Can you pass me that box over there, please?"

When Peter turned to grab the box, Valerie peered into the packet at the dismantled Supernova helmet. With a sigh, she dropped the packet into the box and set the box down in the corner of her room. Once Peter and Ned were out, Jocasta would open the hatch and send the box down to Valerie's lab.

Valerie smiled at them as she picked up her bag. "Ready to go?"

Peter and Ned nodded. Valerie's phone pinged.

 _Your suit?_  
- _Joey_

As if it were a text message, Valerie responded to Jocasta. _I don't foresee danger_.

Smiling, Valerie bid goodbye to everyone before leaving with the boys. Just as Ned claimed, Aunt May already adored Valerie and spent quite a bit of time getting to know Valerie before allowing the three to have their fun. In the end, Valerie decided that she would sleep in the living room with the boys, each on their own couch. After they'd finally fallen asleep, May covered and tucked each one in. She paused, hovering over Valerie, as she wondered how a twelve-year-old child would end up acquiring such a painful-looking scar running up her forearm. She knew it couldn't possibly be falling from a tree as she told Peter and Ned.

Sometime before sunrise, Valerie woke up. Silently, she padded through the apartment until she stumbled upon Peter's room. Knowing it would be empty, Valerie walked in and softly closed the door behind her. Ned woke up and the first thing he noticed was that Valerie was missing. He got up and crept around, searching for her.

"Joe."

"Rise and shine, Nova."

Valerie sighed. "Why do you keep calling me Nova?"

Guiltily, Ned eavesdropped.

"You cut me off when I was scanning you. I'm bitter."

"You're an AI."

"And it's your name, isn't it? Valerie is another name you were given when you met your new family. Your name is Nova."

"What else did your scan pick up? Because Papa Stark had Jarvis run several scans when I asked him if he could figure out where I'm from and who my biological parents were. Jarvis came up blank."

"Because Jarvis is primitive," Jocasta said, sounding smug. "I don't know who your parents are or where you're from. I do know where you're _not_ from."

"Where?"

"Here."

"Obviously. They found me in New Mexico."

"I meant this planet."

Valerie scoffed. "Ridiculous. Jarvis ran tests. I'm human."

"Hybrid."

"Human."

" _Hybrid_."

Valerie frowned. "You're being ridiculous, Joe."

"Jarvis didn't pick it up because Jarvis was looking for specifics. He already assumed you were human and from Earth. I was just doing a general scan. Accept it, you're alien."

Valerie folded her arms. "Fine. So I'm half-human. What's the other half?"

"You're half _humanoid_. Only ten percent of your DNA is human and that's from blood transfusions over the years due to your reckless decisions, the skin tissue you had regenerated by Dr Cho following Sokovia, and a general closeness to the human race. Like most of your gifts, your human DNA is stolen."

The room was silent for a moment. "I don't believe you."

"I have been able to identify half your DNA."

Despite not believing Jocasta, Valerie asked her to continue. "As--"

Ned had turned his head and caught sight of a spider. Spooked by the sudden proximity of the arachnid, Ned jumped, lost his balance, and ended up falling into Peter's room. Valerie flicked the setting back to Jocasta being just in her phone. The spider went on its merry way towards the living room and Ned gave Valerie a smile.

"Sorry, I saw a spider."

Valerie laughed softly as Ned stood up and closed the door again.

"Um, I wanted to apologise."

"For?"

"I'm a bad friend."

Valerie frowned. "What makes you say that? You're a great friend. Well, not like I have much to compare to, but you and Peter are both wonderful people."

Ned fiddled with his hands. "I was . . . I was eavesdropping. Not just once. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."

"Oh . . . Ned, I don't think there's anything you could do that would make me hate you. What did you hear? I'm sure you're confused."

Ned sat down on Peter's bed facing Valerie. "You're not mad?"

Valerie shrugged. "I eavesdropped whenever I could because people wouldn't tell me things. They kept using my age as an excuse."

"Okay, but that's a justifiable reason to eavesdrop. I just did it because I was curious."

Valerie shrugged again. "Ask away, Neddie-boy. Where did you drop in?"

"When you asked . . . _Joe_? . . . why she kept calling you Nova."

Valerie nodded. "All right. So, Joe is actually Jocasta. She's an AI Tony Stark developed and then gave to me when Jarvis . . . was gone." Valerie didn't want to get into how and why Jarvis was no longer available. "My name _is_ Nova, actually. Well, I _assume_ it's my birth name. I don't really remember much before Shield and the Avengers."

"So you _have_ met Tony Stark," Ned said, eyes sparkling.

Valerie smiled. "He's one of many that have taken care of me these past few years. Where do you think I got _this_ from?" Valerie asked, showing him her phone. "I'm really not that rich."

"That makes sense, yeah. So, what was Jocasta saying about all the hybrid and DNA things?"

Valerie frowned. "They found me when I was eight. No one knows where I came from or how I got there, not even I do. Nick Fury decided to keep me, look after me. After that, it was pretty much like dominoes. One by one, I met the Avengers and something about my cute little face made them want to love and protect me. They're my parents, more than anyone else I know. But Joe thinks I'm not even from Earth."

"That clearly means you've been to space."

Valerie shrugged. "If I have, I don't remember. Papa Thor once told me I had the stars in my head. Maybe he meant that."

"What were you asking about some jet?"

Valerie stared at her hands. "A few weeks ago, the Avengers took a mission to take down a Hydra base in Sokovia. I was with them. We defeated the base and everything, but then we accidentally created a murder bot. Ultron."

Ned nodded. "Yeah, I saw on the news."

Valerie nodded too. "We chased Ultron into Sokovia, where he planned to use the city as an extinction button. The city was rising and we had to blow it up before it dropped down and caused planetary destruction. I lost a brother that day. Well, to be fair, we did try to kill each other a few times, but then he left me to look after his sister, and his sister to look after me. We both thought he would be the safest out of the three of us. He died. I also lost one of my fathers. Dr Bruce Banner?"

"No!" Ned said, horrified.

Valerie laughed a hollow laugh. "I don't even know if he's alive. He hijacked a Quinjet that Ultron was piloting, and he put the damn thing in stealth mode. No one can track it and he shut down the communications system. We don't know where he is."

"Oh, Val . . . c'mere."

Valerie sniffed softly and leaned into Ned's hug. She discovered at once that she was right. Ned's hugs were the best -- better than Bruce, better than the Hulk, better than Thor, better than Happy Hogan even.

"Wait, so let me clarify. One of my best friends is an alien? That is so cool."

"Oh, come on, Ned!"

"Are you gonna tell Peter?"

Valerie thought for a moment. "Yeah. But you gotta promise not to tell anyone else."

"My lips are sealed. And hey, you'll find your dad. Don't worry about it."

Peter took it a lot better than Ned.

And by that, I mean he had several questions that he fired too fast for either Valerie or Ned to even _process_.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We should take a nap."

"Wait, so can you summon lightning?" Peter asked, his eyes sparkling.

Valerie frowned as she shoved a fry in her mouth. "Yeah, but that one's a bit strange. It's not exactly like Thor's. It could be. I know I can do it exactly like Papa Thor, minus the hammer, because I managed to boost Papa Stark's suit to six hundred percent capacity once. But more often than not, it's just little sparks of light. It might even be harmless. I've never seen anyone do it before, and Joe says she can't find any record of it anywhere, but she doesn't have access to intergalactic knowledge so. . ."

"Still, that's so cool," Ned said, "what about . . . oh, can you turn into the Hulk?!"

"I have done it exactly once."

"So cool," Ned squealed.

"So, you can do magic? Like Loki?"

Valerie frowned. "You've never met Loki."

"Come on, he attacked New York," Peter said, "he was on the news anyway."

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I can. Oh, do you remember yesterday, Flash and his buddies were jumping around like idiots?"

Peter nodded.

"Yeah, they were seeing a snake. And not a small garden snake. Like, a boa constrictor."

"You are so cool," Peter said. Both he and Ned sat at the table, admiring their superhero friend.

"You wanna see my suit?"

Both nodded eagerly.

"My mom said it's cool if I host night three of the sleepover, so you'll just have to hold yourselves down until Sunday night."

Neither the teens nor Jocasta brought up identifying Valerie's alien DNA again.

* * *

Sunday night couldn't come fast enough. They'd played video games, gone to see a movie, eaten more candy than they probably should've, and a whole list of other fun things. Finally, Sunday afternoon, they packed their bags and headed to Valerie's house. They spent the afternoon playing with Callum and Nicole, and Nathaniel took to Ned immediately. Once they'd helped Laura and Clint clean up after dinner, the three of them set up the living room for the sleepover.

Once Laura and Clint's bedroom door finally closed, Valerie threw the blanket back and motioned for the boys to follow her. She opened her wardrobe and pushed the clothes to one side before pressing on the back of the wardrobe. Ned and Peter watched in fascination as the back slid to the side to reveal a staircase.

"Come on," Valerie whispered. Once they were halfway down the stairs, the back slid into place and the clothes slid along the rack. The wardrobe door slowly swung closed. When Valerie's foot hit the floor of the lab, the lights went on.

"Wake up, everybody! Your star has arrived!"

Machines whirred to life. Valerie proudly gestured to the suit that was nailed to the wall. "That's my first suit. It looks like that because Sokovia rained down on me and the suit took the damage. This here," Valerie said, gesturing to the suit that her machines were currently working on, "is the second design. Still not perfect, though. And this," Valerie said, bringing up a holographic image to the centre of the room, "is where I want to be."

She left them to admire the design and when she came back, she was wearing her pink suit.

"Why is it pink?" Peter asked.

"I made it when I was nine. When I was nine, battle practicality wasn't on my mind. It was just that pink's my favourite colour and therefore my suit must be pink. This is just the suit I wear under that one, but I can't be fighting in a suit like Iron Man's."

"Why not?" Ned asked.

"I could break the sound barrier by _running_ , Ned. The suit can't travel that fast unless it's during flight."

"You've travelled at supersonic speed?" Peter asked, almost dropping the hand of the Supernova he had been inspecting.

"I said 'could'. I've never done it. Maximoff claimed that he could, anyway."

"I would've loved to meet him."

Valerie smiled. "I knew him days and he was the best brother in the world. We spent almost eighty percent of the time fighting, but still . . . I miss him. I can't even imagine what Wanda feels like. They were twins, you know."

Valerie took a deep breath and smiled. "Anyway, so this is the Supernova. She's my most prized possession."

"Ouch," Jocasta muttered.

"Some of my stolen superpowers took longer to master. It's easier to steal a gift than it is to steal a skill. I mastered superspeed and Wanda's magic in hours. It took me weeks to get on Hawkeye's level with archery. I developed increased healing from staying near Captain America, but my genius . . . I still had to learn everything, it was just a little easier to absorb."

"So last night," Ned said, suddenly grinning, "I heard something funny."

Peter and Valerie both turned to him. "What?" Valerie asked.

"Someone was looking for Peter in her sleep," Ned sang.

Valerie laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Neddie, but it wasn't our dear Peter Parker. There's this guy I keep dreaming about. I'm pretty sure he's an idiot, but I feel like he's a good guy. Maybe he's my real dad. I keep seeing him in space."

"It could be," Jocasta said. "I could run searches, but you know nothing after his first name."

"Yeah, because everyone he's around keeps yelling at him to stop breaking or stealing stuff."

Peter snorted. "I'm glad it's not me, then."

Valerie smiled. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he was just a figment of my imagination. But he's been around since long before Sokovia so . . . whatever. Enjoy yourselves, don't break anything. Ask Joe if you need some help."

"Where are you going?" Ned asked, seeing Valerie head towards an empty glass chamber behind the lab.

"I haven't had the chance to train in a while. Have fun. Watch if you want. Try not to get scared."

Once Valerie stepped into the large, cordoned off area, the glass dimmed.

"It's a two-way mirror," Ned said, amazed, "so she doesn't get distracted."

"J, hit me."

"Okay."

They saw Valerie fly across the training floor. "I MEANT START THE SESSION, YOU DUMBASS!"

They could've sworn Jocasta was laughing. "My mistake."

"One more mistake and I'm taking you out of my head! Give me something I've already seen."

"Human?"

"Mmm. . . Give me the Chitauri. Lay off the Leviathans for now."

"Location?"

"New York City, Stark Tower."

"Ready when you are, Nova."

Peter and Ned found a seat and sat to watch Valerie slaughter each alien that came her way, using a multitude of skills and superpowers. Valerie, small as she was, managed to body slam a Chitauri warrior into another. She turned to those advancing behind her and slammed her glowing hand into its chest. The energy rippled over the aliens behind the one she hit.

"All right, give me a Leviathan."

Peter and Ned jumped back at the sheer size of the creature Valerie planned on fighting. Valerie suddenly vanished into a dark mass of smoke, with pale blue edges, then exited the same portal, but on top of the Leviathan.

"Did you see her eyes?" Ned asked, "they were blue."

"They're always blue, Ned."

"A different blue. Brighter. Like it was glowing."

Peter shrugged. "Let me know if it happens again. I'll tell you if I see it."

Peter and Ned screamed and jumped back when the Leviathan seemed to fly straight towards them. Valerie rose up and as she came crashing back down, Ned's wishes were fulfilled.

Valeri as the Hulk didn't last very long, because she turned, ready to incinerate the Leviathan.

Portions of her suit returned, the palms and chest pate. Looking very much like Iron Man, the Supernova shot out beams of energy from the palms and the core of the suit.

The Leviathan burned to a crisp.

"Increase difficulty level?" Jocasta asked.

Valerie surveyed the damage around her. "No. Clean up."

Everything flickered before disappearing. Valerie left the training area, breathing hard.

"You got hurt," Peter noticed at once.

Valerie shrugged. "Can't feel it."

"You'll feel it later," Ned said.

Valerie shook her head. "No, I mean I _won't_ feel it. It hasn't been that long away from Captain America. I still recreate the effects of the supersoldier serum. What's the time, Joe?"

"Four fifty-seven."

"We should take a nap," Valerie said.

"Yeah," Ned agreed, "I don't want to miss our Spanish test."

"SHIT!"

"Language," Jocasta scolded lightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love watching Valerie make stupid decisions like staying up late to show off to your friends


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Spiderman, actually, and I choose the first one. Nova, _la estrella más brillante del cielo_."

Things were going well. Of course, Valerie still went to bed every night with Bruce on her mind, but his absence no longer consumed the majority of her thoughts.

Flash Thomspon only picked fights with Peter when Valerie wasn't around. He had a sneaky suspicion she was behind all the mishaps he had over the course of the day whenever she caught him being nasty to Peter -- or Ned.

Valerie was loving Queens. Now and then, an Avenger would drop by to pay her a visit. When her birthday rolled around, Peter and Ned got to meet the Avengers. Everything was going great.

Of course, it wouldn't stay like that for long. Exactly two and a half minutes ago, Valerie found herself in the middle of what could become a shootout.

"Do not engage," Jocasta warned, "I've alerted authorities. _Do not engage_ , Nova."

Reluctantly, Valerie chose to listen to her AI. Someone else showed up to the little store before the police did. Valerie's jaw dropped at the sight of what was clearly a teenager in a red and blue . . . jumpsuit.

"J, what the hell is he shooting?" she whispered.

"Synthetic webbing," Jocasta replied after a quick scan. "Very spider-like in appearance. Stronger than you. Durable, flexible, sticky, stretchy, and apparently infinite."

"He's going to get himself killed."

"Helping him would put you in the line of fire. You'd die."

Valerie scoffed as she watched the teen dodge bullets. "Bold of you to assume I'm not wearing my suit."

Jocasta was silent for a few seconds. "Nova, you are a strange one to understand. Still, your suit offers protection against blades. Not short-range firing. You'd get hit."

"He's a kid," Valerie argued, creeping around behind the shelves.

"So are you."

Valerie rolled her eyes. "I have half a mind to take my earpiece out."

"And the other half?" Jocasta asked sarcastically.

"Is plotting how I'm going to help him."

The boy in red and blue was currently spewing funny comments at his attackers. Valerie sat back to watch. He looked capable. She'd intervene only if she thought he was going to get hurt. She realised soon enough that he was playing them, forcing them to chase him -- all the way out of the store. Valerie avoided the cops when they finally arrived on scene and followed the spider-like boy and his pursuers.

"Do you want me to bring your suit?" Jocasta asked.

"No, I'm not planning on getting involved. I just want to see how this plays out."

"It's in your nature to be a hero, Nova. You'll get involved even if you don't want to."

Valerie scoffed, but she didn't argue. She almost ran past the alley the teen had been backed up into. Skidding to a stop, Valerie entered the alley.

" _Not a word_ ," she muttered to her AI before calling on Wanda's gifts. The teen seemed surprised. She couldn't tell underneath his full mask. "You should really think before ducking into alleys.

"I know my way around Queens. I had a way out."

"Yeah?"

"Up."

Valerie looked up. "That's pretty high up, you know."

He surprised her by holding out his hand to her. "I'll show you how high up it is."

Valerie threw him a smirk. "If I wanted to, I could get there myself."

She could hear his grin. "Everything's fun with a friend."

"A friend? I don't even know who you are."

His head tilted to his hand. Valerie looked down too. She was somewhat surprised to see her own hand in his. He tugged gently on her hand and she moved closer. "Hold tight. I don't need to save your ass twice in one day."

Valerie scoffed, but she locked her arms over his shoulders. "If anything, _I'll_ be the one saving _your_ ass twice in one day."

Of course, he had to be right. Valerie had flown before. She had used Wanda's magic to levitate and fly short distances. She had used the Supernova to fly longer distances and as high in the sky as she could go. But shooting upwards with nothing to support her besides the arm around her waist proved to be more exhilarating than anything she'd ever done on her own before.

He chuckled when they stood at the edge of the apartment block's rooftop. "Cute hairdo."

Valerie scowled. "I don't do the windswept look very well."

"What's your name?" he asked, watching her.

"Nova -- I mean Valerie."

She could hear his smile and it irked her. "Which is it? Nova or Valerie?"

"Take your pick, spider-shit."

"Spiderman, actually, and I choose the first one. Nova, _la estrella más brillante del cielo_."

Valerie tilted her head. "What makes you say that?"

He shrugged. "Your eyes sparkle in the sun, like stars. It's cute."

Valerie folded her arms. "I am not _cute_."

"You are," he said with a laugh, "I should get going. Homework's not gonna complete itself, you know."

"Ah, _shit_!"

He laughed to himself as Valerie vanished right before his eyes, leaving behind a mixed trail of silver and crimson.

* * *

Ned was always one to find out the coolest and most interesting stories before the other two. Valerie had quickly learned that Ned was the one to go to if you wanted to know what the gossip was, and Peter was the one to go to if you wanted to confirm the gossip.

"Did you guys hear about the new superhero?"

"Superhero?" Peter asked, feigning confusion.

"Yeah, yesterday, he stopped a store being mugged. One of the people inside said he was dressed in blue and red and was like shooting webs out of his wrists. Man, I wish I could've seen it."

"It was pretty awesome," Valerie agreed.

"You saw him?" Ned asked.

"I was in the store, Neddie-boy. I actually followed him out when he left. We spoke a while. His name's Spiderman. A bit cheesy if you ask me, but one of my dads called himself Iron Man and his suit's not even made of iron so whatever."

"I literally have the coolest best friend ever."

"Ouch," Peter said flatly.

"I'm sure you're cool too, Petey-boy. We just haven't figured out who's your superhero connection yet."

Peter smiled. If she only knew. "So, since you're the one that spoke to this Spiderman guy, what's your opinion of him?"

"He's an idiot," Valerie said with a fond smile on her face.

Peter frowned, not sure how he should take that.

"A cute idiot, I think. He sounds cute. He sounds like a kid. Maybe my age or younger."

"Or _older_ ," Peter said defensively.

Valerie smiled. "He thinks he's hilarious, throwing Spanish at me like I don't speak it myself."

"What did he say?" Ned asked, curious.

"Er, he told me to stay safe just before he left. Maybe it's his home language, you know?"

Peter frowned at Valerie again. _Why are_ _you_ _lying?_

Valerie wasn't about to tell her two best friends that a stranger had called her the brightest star in the sky.

"You think he'll show up again?" Ned asked, half focused on the conversation and half focused on his lunch.

"I think so," Valerie said, also half focused on the conversation. "I'd like to see him again." She shook her head slightly and grinned at the boys. "It'll be fun to mimic him and play at being Spiderman."

Spiderman showed up again two weeks later, this time to stop a car accident with seconds to spare. He caught sight of Valerie on the sidewalk before he left. She didn't know what the lingering glance meant, but when he left, she followed.

"Told you I could get to a roof on my own," she said as she walked up behind him. "How does it feel to be a superhero? My friends are huge fans."

"It feels . . . nice. I have a question for you. Why aren't _you_ doing this? You seem like the type to get antsy if you don't . . . _do_ something.'

Valerie frowned at the street below. "My parents sent me to Queens to get me away from all this. On my last mission, I nearly got myself killed." Valerie shrugged her jacket off to show him the scar that ran up her arm. "That's artificial skin regrown after I helped blow up a city to save the planet. The whole city crumbled, and stone, metal, and glass fell with me. My team, my family, did their best to save me and each other. I had a suit of armour that protected me from most of the falling debris, but a construction beam sliced my arm open, and I broke the bone. It took me two weeks to force heal it."

He reached out for her arm. Valerie didn't move. "Does it hurt?"

"No. I don't remember any pain either. I passed out and woke up a week later. My family decided the safest place for me was away from the hero work." She shot him a smile, "but I don't mind you. It's nice to be the civilian for a change. It's a thrilling change in perspective."

"Is it?" he asked, tilting his head.

"It is. But it's in my nature to use my gifts to do what's right. Do swing by if you ever need anything."

"How? I don't know all that much about you."

Valerie pointed her house out, not too far from where they were standing. "That's my home. There's a small rectangular window half covered by the grass. It leads down into my personal lab. You can ask my personal AI to contact me if you manage to get into the lab.

"Grant access to Spiderman?" Jocasta asked in Valerie's ear.

"Are you sure?" Spiderman asked.

"Yes," Valerie said, to both questions.

Valerie should've known that meant she had invited trouble. Time went by wonderfully. Valerie soon became good friends with Spiderman, secretly helping out now and then. Spiderman visited late at night, entering only when the lab light was on -- meaning Valerie was up and working. Ned constantly teased Valerie about having a crush on Spiderman. Peter often had nothing to say on the matter except asking Valerie what she thought. Valerie never denied it, but she never confirmed it either.

It was two am, roughly five months after Spiderman had first made an entrance, that Jocasta had to wake Valerie by forcing her alarm to ring.

"Spiderman is in the lab," Jocasta said when Valerie woke up and turned the alarm off.

"Can't he wait until morning?" Valerie grumbled, rolling over.

"He's bleeding."

Valerie had never gone to her lab faster before, snatching the towel she had laid out for her morning shower. The sight was something she would never get out of her mind, filed right next to watching Loki spear Phil with his sceptre four years ago. The suit she had designed for him was torn, ripped beyond repair. Quietly, Valerie healed the wound, her fingertips glowing golden and crimson as the deep gash knitted itself together.

"Thank you."

"Lay still," Valerie said quietly, focused on what she was doing. "I'm going to have to give the suit a redesign. Maybe I can get someone to raid Shield's dusty old storage units for any more discarded Black Widow suits. The material from that should make for a stronger suit. You should have more protection if I manage --"

Spiderman caught Valerie's wrist as she turned to walk away from the table.

"Nova."

She stopped. In all the time she'd known Spiderman, he'd actually never called her by her name -- either name -- before.

"You're upset," he said, sitting up on the table she had cleared for him.

"You got hurt. Because the suit I created wasn't strong enough. You could've died. I almost didn't come down here. I would've come here in the morning and you'd have been dead and it would have been all my fault and --"

"It's not your fault, _mi estrella_ ," Spiderman said, wiping away tears she hadn't yet noticed. "The only reason I made it here was because of your suit. Besides, you weren't the one that attacked me, were you?"

Realising he was waiting for an answer, Valerie shook her head.

"Then how can it be your fault?"

"I just -- I don't--"

"I know you've lost people before, _mi estrella_ , and I know how that hurts. But I'm not leaving. I plan to live long into the future. I plan on being Spiderman even after I'm older than . . . than Tony Stark."

Valerie laughed. "You'll _always_ be younger than my dad, Spiderman."

Underneath his mask, Spiderman smiled at Valerie's smile. Sighing, Valerie tugged lightly at the torn strip of the suit hanging off Spiderman's body. "The way I see it, you have two choices. Lay off the heroism until I can get you an upgrade, or use your old little jumpsuit and give me constant fear that you'll kill yourself saving someone else."

Spiderman scoffed. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to die without your permission?"

Valerie shrugged, miming scales. "Well, you know. . ."

"Idiot."

Valerie stuck her tongue out at him. Too used to arguing with Callum and calling each other idiots, Valerie retorted without thinking. "Well, you love this idiot, so that makes you a double idiot."

Spiderman's response came back without any thought either. "Oh yeah? Well, you love this double idiot so that makes you a _triple_ idiot! Ha!"

It took a moment before their words sank in. Spiderman was lucky to be hiding behind his mask. Valerie busied herself cleaning the lab.

"You should get some rest," she said softly, turning her back on him as she wiped down the chair he had collapsed on when she first found him.

"Mind if I take a nap here? I don't think I have the energy to go back home."

Valerie turned back. "I'm going to stay down here. After I get all this cleaned, I'm going to start the new design for your suit. I won't be able to sleep anyway. You go on up there and take a nap in my bed. It'll be more comfortable than that table you're sitting on. Leave as soon as you wake up. You can come visit tonight again so I can see how you're healing. I'll tell Joe to keep my door locked until you leave."

Spiderman pulled Valerie into a hug. "What would I do without you, _mi estrella_?"

"Crash and burn," she responded smugly.

"Of course. I'll be back later tonight, and you better not have spent twenty-four hours down here."

"Go and rest, spider-shit."

Spiderman clutched at his chest. "That really stings, Supernova."

Valerie rolled her eyes and got back to cleaning her lab up as Spiderman left. "J, remind me to get that towel cleaned before Papa or Mama comes down here."

"When do you want your reminder?"

"Sunrise should be fine."

"I'll make a note."

Once the table was cleaned, Valerie turned the computer on. "Open the suit designs folder."

"Trying your own suit on?"

"What suit? It's pieces of metal at random points."

She could almost imagine Jocasta rolling her eyes. "That's because the Supernova is you, not the suit."

Valerie frowned at the designs. "What if I lined his suit with nitinol? Like dad's?"

"An iron spider?"

Valerie shook her head. "No, save that as a draft for later. It'll take too long to get that made and knowing Spiderman, he'll start shaking if he doesn't do something heroic soon enough. How's the Spidernova suit looking?"

"You still don't have the required materials, although the design is nearly perfect."

"What about the Stark suit?"

"Why are you calling it the Stark suit?"

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I'm using his resources to make the suit, I might as well give him credit."

"The suit's design seems flawless. All you need is the material. Shall I make the order?"

Valerie nodded. "Yeah, try not to let Friday know what it's for."

"Yes, sir."

Valerie rolled her eyes. "This is payback for nicknaming you Joe, isn't it?"

"Of course not. I notice you've added Instant Kill mode to the Spidernova suit."

"Mhm. That's because I'm planning on asking dad to help me develop an AI to go with the suit. Make a note of that, I want to add it to the Stark suit as well."

"And the Iron Spider?"

Valerie hummed in thought. "Yeah. When you've made the order, upload the Spidernova folder to the Baby Avenger archive."

While Jocasta worked on that, Valerie went back to pen and paper to sketch the final design of Spiderman's new suit.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not insane. You're just not on my level."

Peter Parker woke up near sunrise. He thought about heading down to the lab to see Valerie, but he didn't have much time. Clint would be coming up soon to see if Valerie was up for school, and May would be knocking on his own door in no time. Peter sighed and left, telling Jocasta to let Valerie know. It was strange not to get a response, but he figured Jocasta and Valerie were busy together.

About five minutes after he left, Clint knocked on the door. "Val? Val, you up yet, baby?"

He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He wouldn't have thought anything of the locked door, but there was no response from inside. Usually, when the door was locked, Valerie would call out from inside about the fact that she was changing, or working on a secret project or something of the sort.

"Joe, is Valerie in the lab?"

No response.

"Jocasta?"

Nothing.

"Laura, did the kids leave for school yet?"

Laura, who was preparing sandwiches for lunch, looked down at the food. "No, they're still asleep. Why, is Valerie gone?"

Clint walked into the kitchen, scratching his head. "I think so. Joe isn't responding either. You think she deactivated the AI?"

"Unlikely. Just check their rooms, maybe she made lunch for Callum and Nicole and dropped them off at school already."

Clint left and returned a minute later. "I just woke them up. Valerie's door is locked. Valerie's door is never locked without a valid reason."

"You said Joe's not responding?"

Clint nodded.

"Call Tony. Maybe he deactivated the AI for repairs or something? I'll look for the key to Valerie's room."

When Laura returned to the kitchen, two keys in hand, Clint shook his head at her. "He didn't deactivate Joe, but he can't connect to her either. Valerie didn't deactivate Joe either -- Friday would've received an alert. She's just not responding at all."

"Here, I'm going to get the kids ready for school. Oh, and this one's to the lab from the main hallway entrance. It's never been used, so you might need to give it a shove. Without Joe, the entrance in Val's bedroom won't open. She might have fallen asleep in the lab."

Clint nodded. While Laura woke Nicole and Callum up and told them to get ready for school while she readied Nathaniel for the day, Clint checked Valerie's bedroom.

"Her schoolbag's still here," he called as he made his way to the unused doorway in the main hallway. "Please be in the lab," he repeated under his breath, like a mantra.

Laura was giving her kids breakfast when Clint slid into the kitchen, slipping on his socks. "Valerie's missing and I _know_ Stark doesn't know where she is."

"Where's Val?" Callum asked, playing with his cereal. His question went ignored.

"I'll call Cap, you see if you can get hold of Nick. If he doesn't know where she is, tell him to spread word and find someone who does."

" _Shit_ ," Laura whispered, grabbing her phone.

* * *

"Parker, Leeds. Where's your little bodyguard?"

Ned and Peter shared a glance. They had no idea. Flash smirked. If Valerie wasn't around, Peter was fair game.

"Listen up, Penis P--"

"Not now, Flash," Peter muttered, calling the Barton residence. Ned hovered at Peter's shoulder, hoping to listen in. Flash looked quite insulted.

"Hi, Mrs Barton, it's Peter. I just wanted to -- what? No, I haven't seen -- SHE'S _MISSING_?!"

"What do you mean she's missing?" Ned asked. Peter repeated the question to Laura.

"Last I saw her was when we hung out yesterday." A half-truth would suffice. They _did_ hang out yesterday, at Ned's.

"Yeah, I'll call if I hear from her."

Peter shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned to Ned. "Valerie's missing. Her bag's at home, her phone, her suit, everything. They can't even track her via Joe because Joe's apparently deactivated."

"How much trouble is cutting class and ditching school?"

"Two hours worth of Captain America's videos," Flash said, miffed at being ignored.

Peter and Ned turned to him. "Why do you know that?" Peter asked.

"I cut gym a few weeks ago because I didn't wanna sit through the video. I was repaid with two excruciating hours of it. Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to look for Valerie. You're going to move out of our way."

Flash could claim he hated Peter and his friends until he was blue in the face, but he liked Valerie a bit. She was feisty, got what she wanted, gave what was deserved, and funny. It would be a lie to claim he hated her. "Fine, but only because it's your bodyguard. If you were missing," he pointed at Ned, "I'd rat you out for skipping."

"Wait, what?" Peter asked.

Ned started pushing Peter to the doors. "He likes Valerie more than he hates you so he's going to help me cover for you, don't question it!"

"Okay, okay! I'll call you if I find something."

Peter crashed into Valerie's lab, forgetting about the window. The glass shattered as he stumbled and rolled to a stop, standing up and brushing his clothes down.

Three of the Avengers drew their weapons on him. Peter screamed. Clint lowered his bow, Rhodey put his pistol away and Tony retracted the repulsor glove as they realised who it was.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Clint asked.

"Yeah, but Mrs Barton said Valerie was missing so I'm gonna look for her. I know a few places she likes to visit so maybe I can --"

"List," Tony said, "now. We'll look for her. You're going back to school."

"But --"

"No buts or we'll keep you out of the loop."

Frowning, Peter stalked to Valerie's desk and snatched a pencil before rummaging around for a blank sheet of paper. Unnoticed, one of the pages slid off the desk. Tony picked it up, studying the suit sketched on it.

"My daughter knew this kid?" he asked, showing the sketch to Peter.

Peter, who had found a page and was writing down Valerie's favourite spots in the city, looked up. He was momentarily stunned by the design Valerie had created.

"She had a run-in with him a few times, I think. She has a thing for adopting superheroes into her family, you know."

Tony accepted the answer. It sounded like Valerie. Grudgingly, Peter handed the page to Rhodey. "Will you let me know if you find her?"

Clint nodded. "I'll tell Laura to call you. Get back to school."

Peter did not go back to school. He broke out his old jumpsuit and zipped through the city, going to Valerie's secret spots she made Spiderman swear not to tell anyone.

Back in the classroom, Flash entered just as Ned was telling Ms Warren that Peter was sick.

"Eugh, he almost threw up on me! I had to go back home to change."

Believing that Flash wouldn't lie for Peter, the teacher accepted that Peter really was sick. Ned wanted to throw Flash a glare for making Peter look so bad, but Flash was helping -- and Ned really didn't want Flash to end up ratting Peter out.

They searched and searched, first the whole of Queens, then the whole of the US, then Tony sent the Legion to search globally for Valerie. They could not find her. When Tony Stark dropped into Peter's apartment a month later, talking about some Stark Internship, Peter really wanted to be somewhere else. When Tony dropped a briefcase on the bed and told Peter to think about the trip to Germany, Peter wanted to ask him why he'd stopped searching for Valerie.

And when Peter opened the briefcase to see Valerie's design, with the words 'the Stark suit' written on a piece of paper in Valerie's handwriting, Peter wanted to bury the briefcase and never look at it again. He missed Valerie far too much.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?"

Valerie groaned as she sat up, rubbing her head. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around at the ornate room, decorated with gold nearly everywhere. She screamed and jumped back when an old man's face appeared in her sight.

"Who the hell am I? Who the hell are _you_?!"

Valerie scrambled to her feet and the old man stood up straighter. "I know you," she said slowly, peering at him.

"Come with me. You must be hungry."

Only slightly reluctant, Valerie followed the old man through what she would call a castle until he ducked into an empty corridor with a spring in his step that he clearly didn't have before. He grabbed Valerie's wrist and pulled her into an empty room, locking the door.

"Who are you and how did you get here?" he demanded.

Valerie narrowed her eyes at him. Then her eyes widened. "PAPA THOR SAID YOU DIED!!"

He sighed and Valerie watched the illusion fall. "I _still_ don't know who you are," Loki said, "nor _how_ you got here with a portal like that when the Tesseract is safely locked in Asgard's treasury."

Valerie was beginning to panic. How had she ended up on Asgard? She was just in her lab. She'd finished up with the sketch she was working with and had sat back to admire her handiwork. She remembered thinking about Spiderman, and how injured he had been when she entered the lab. She remembered sitting in her chair and wondering what would've happened if she had just gone back to sleep like she had wanted. She would have been partly to blame for the death of Queens' friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. She remembered feeling so afraid and helpless. The last time she'd felt like that was when Loki had first entered Shield and she had had her hands on the Tesseract.

Just as Valerie realised how she'd gotten to Asgard, the words 'Papa Thor' that had been bouncing in Loki's head like a windows screensaver hit a corner.

"You're the kid from New York! You hit me in the face with a shoe!"

"And I'll do it again with pride! You tried to kill half my parents!"

"You hit me with a shoe! In my face!" Loki cried as if his actions were justified.

Valerie groaned. "Of all the places I could've been dragged to, it _had_ to be Asgard. Where's Papa Thor?"

Loki shrugged. "Hell if I know."

"What, he's not here?"

"Why would he be here? He swoons over your dumb planet all the time. I thought he'd be there."

Valerie needed something to throw back at Loki, and in arguing with him, she wasn't really forming proper thoughts. "I'm _not_ from Earth, you moron. I just live there."

"You're human," Loki sneered.

"Ten percent of me is."

"Eleven point five," Jocasta corrected. "Ten was an estimate round figure."

"Who's that?" Loki asked, looking around for the source of the voice.

Valerie frowned and felt her ears. No earpiece. She knew because she had been speaking to Jocasta at home. She didn't need the earpiece when she was in the same building where Jocasta was based. She felt for her phone and found her pockets empty. So where was Jocasta coming from?

"You've embedded me within your brain," Jocasta said. "That's usually not possible, but I prefer not to get into details."

"Joe's an AI," Valerie told Loki, "she powered my suit and looked after my lab back home."

"Stark's creation."

Valerie nodded. "Joe, is this how you exist now? From my head? That means everyone will hear you?"

"Not unless you want them to. I can remain in your head at all times. It's interesting what a computer the living mind is."

Valerie suddered. "Right, let's not get into details."

Loki's mind went back to the conversation. "If you're not human, what are you?"

"Forty-five percent this, forty-five percent that, ten percent human."

"Eleven point five," Jocasta corrected again, aware that it would tick Valerie off.

"I knew it!" Loki said, standing back and pointing at Valerie. "I _knew_ you were Asgardian from the moment I met you! Ha! I knew it!"

Valerie rolled her eyes. "No way. I've met two Asgardians in my life. One is my Papa Thor who had previously never seen me before and you sure as hell aren't my father. I'm _not_ Asgardian."

"Except for the minute detail that approximately half of you _is_ ," Jocasta said.

"Ha!" Lokie cried again, a wild look on his face. He frowned. "Wait. How? You're right. Thor never knew you before he met you and you sure as hell aren't _my_ daughter."

Valerie blew a raspberry at him. "Like I want _you_ to be my dad. You're more of a child than I am -- and I'm thirteen!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I knew you couldn't resist my offer."

"What offer?"

"I'll make you a princess. Hm, you'll tell everyone you're my niece. Yes, that should work. Odin wouldn't have another child, especially since mother's been dead for years. Yes, yes, a niece will do. Look at us, usurping what should be ours."

Valerie raised her eyebrows. "So I was right back then. You are insane."

"I'm not insane. You're just not on my level."

"Joy, you're still a drama queen. I'm going back to Earth."

"You can't. The Tesseract is all locked up. Apparently it's bad practice to have it where people can reach it."

"But you can get to it, right?"

Loki shrugged. "I'd have to demolish portions of the palace, so no."

Valerie screamed and the next thing either of them knew, Loki was on the floor. "Ow, what the hell?!"

"I did warn you," she said, shrugging.

"That was four years ago!" Loki lay on the floor for a moment with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths and counting the number of scripts he had written. "You are a troublesome little wretch, you know that?"

"I have a question for you, though," Valerie said as Loki stood up. "When you spoke to me all those years ago, you sensed that I'd gain all these powers. How did you know?"

"You haven't _gained_ any powers. You've only strengthened your own."

"Which is?"

"Mimicry. It's incredibly easy to start, near impossible to master. Observe." Loki held out his hand and a bouquet of flowers bloomed. "Perhaps you're more of an animal person," he said, holding out one finger for the glorious parrot to perch. He snapped his fingers and everything vanished.

"That's magic. Illusory magic, to be specific. Neither the flowers nor the bird existed. It's my skill, my area of expertise. Most people have something that is their own."

"What do I have?" Valerie asked, intrigued.

"Most would say nothing. But your area of expertise isn't _nothing_ , it's just not specific. Tell me, is there any one person you find you embody most?"

Valerie thought about the brother she had lost and the sister he had left behind. "Yeah."

"They are your area of expertise. Say you decide to invest in learning to harness to power of Thor. You could probably do it. He would become your area of expertise. It's all very dependant on you. Therefore, I claim that your area of expertise is nothing, everything, and yourself -- all at once. You'd make a fine queen. I should get rid of Thor and make you heir."

Valerie was stunned at the sudden turn in the conversation. How he had gone from explaining magic to thinking about the throne amazed Valerie. In an eerily similar way to how Valerie encaptured and enraptured the people who became her family with charms she wasn't aware she even had, let alone used, Loki enticed Valerie to stay in Asgard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up, Thor: Ragnarok.
> 
> Warning: I do not do the hilarity of that movie justice. As an apology, we should all go watch Ragnarok and pretend Infinity War & Endgame don't exist.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You will soon be forever at your peak, your most powerful, yet also your most weak."

Things were swell on Earth.

And by that, I mean they totally weren't.

Tony and Steve were no longer speaking. Bucky was living in Wakanda. The princess of Wakanda, Shuri, was tending to him. Wanda and Vision had a thing going. Doctor Strange kept trying to order fast food deliveries. Bruce was still missing, Thor hadn't been in contact and no one knew what had happened to Valerie. Clint and Laura had moved back to the farm with their family and Peter was tempted to run away from Queens too. Everything reminded them of Valerie. Tony kept all Valerie's things safe with him, periodically rifling through the Baby Avenger archive whenever he found he missed Valerie too much.

Peter wasn't having much fun. He still sometimes felt like it had been yesterday where he and Valerie had been talking in her lab. He missed her. She had been his best friend. The only person he ever cared about as much as her was Ned. He often told himself he at least still had one best friend. He didn't know what he would do if he had to lose both.

Aunt May had been frantic when Peter finally told her that Valerie had been missing for a week. When Valerie was officially declared missing the next week, she comforted her nephew as best as she could. Ned came over and stayed over a little more often than before.

Of course, Flash was Flash, and he still picked on Peter, but he had heart enough to steer clear of anything that would bring up Valerie. Peter made a new friend in the strange and somewhat scary Michelle Jones, and as amazing a friend as she was, she could never replace Valerie. Even she knew that. Still, she continued being Peter's friend, going as far as to offer her shoulder when Peter missed Valerie more than he could bear.

When Ned found out he was Spiderman, he confessed that he had wanted to tell Ned and Valerie together. Ned and MJ set him up with an old crush, Liz Toomes, for homecoming, but that went nowhere -- mostly because Peter just wasn't invested enough and a little because her dad was trying to kill Peter.

In cruel contrast, Valerie was living her best life in Asgard. Loki had lied, obviously, when she asked what the Bifrost was and told her it was extremely dangerous. To be fair, it was pretty dangerous without Heimdall and having that . . . _fool_ , Skurge, watching the gate.

After a few weeks, she stopped trying to get off Asgard and accepted that it was where she would stay until Thor returned -- when she would ask him to take her back.

Valerie had taken to going by Nova once again. Jocasta was safely nestled in her head and only spoke out loud around Loki because it put him off.

Valerie -- or Nova -- was thrilled to meet Sif, Asgard's fiercest warrior. She challenged Sif every odd weekend to a training duel until she was sure she could beat Sif. These days their duels could last hours if they were determined enough.

Today, Nova was lounging on a small chaise, with her head on Loki's knee and her swinging legs hanging over the end, stealing grapes from his plate as she watched the death of Loki that Thor had told her about a few years ago -- with a little more drama.

"Loki's such a drama queen," Nova muttered.

Loki, disguised as Odin, shot her a glare. "You must take after him, then," he fired back.

"That stings, uncle."

"It should," Loki said smugly, turning back to the play. "Wine, dear?"

"I'm _fifteen_."

He chuckled. "Oh, I highly doubt that."

"Sorry about that time I turned you into a frog."

Nova laughed so hard at the actor, she almost choked on a grape. Loki smiled down at her, absently playing with her hair.

She had to bite her lip to stop the laughter when 'Loki' died on stage. A very poor imitation of Odin walked on.

"And so Loki died of his wounds, giving his life for ours. He fought back those disgusting dark elves. He brought peace to the realm."

A young boy, painted blue, wandered into the frame. 'Odin' grabbed him and pulled him close. "Loki, my boy . . . 'twas many moons ago I found you on a frost-bitten battlefield."

Someone was openly sobbing in the audience. Nova wanted to laugh.

"On that day, I did not yet see in you Asgard's saviour. No. You were merely a little blue baby icicle . . . that melted this old fool's heart."

Nova nearly fell off the sofa, her shrieks of laughter masked by the audience's applause. Loki stood up and applauded the actors. Nova lay back on the couch and continued eating Loki's grapes. He'd throw a fit about the missing fruit later, she knew, but she'd quell it all by turning into Thor and gushing about how amazing a brother Loki was.

"Father."

Nova stilled as she caught sight of Thor bowing to 'Odin'.

"Oh shit," Loki said, passing his wine off to someone. "My son!" he announced, "Thor has returned! Greetings my boy."

Nova involuntarily shrank back into the couch. She found half of her wanting to never return to Earth.

"It's an interesting play," Thor said, "what's it called?"

"The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard," Loki said proudly. Nova snorted. "The people wanted to commemorate him."

Thor nodded. "Indeed they should. I like that statue. A lot better looking than he was when he was alive, though. A little less weasely. Less greasy maybe."

"Oh, shit, indeed," Nova mumbled, realising that Thor knew Loki was hiding under Odin's disguise.

Thor held up what Nova identified as a pair of horns. "You know what this is?"

"The skull of Surtur? That's a formidable weapon."

Thor passed it off to a guard. "Do me a favour. Lock this in a vault so it doesn't turn into a   
giant monster and destroy the whole planet."

"So it's back to Midgard for you, is it?" Loki asked, hoping the answer was yes. Nova frowned as she realised she hoped the same.

Thor tossed the hammer into the air a few times. "Nope. I've been having this reoccurring dream lately. Every night I see Asgard fall into ruins. . ."

"That's just a silly dream . . . signs of an overactive imagination."

"Possibly . . . but then I decide to go out there and investigate. And what do I find, but the Nine Realms completely in chaos. Enemies of Asgard assembling, plotting our demise, all while you, _Odin_ , the protector of those Nine Realms, are sitting here in your bathrobe, eating grapes."

If Thor recognised the young girl eating Loki's grapes, be didn't give any indication.

"Well, it is best to respect our neighbours' freedom," Loki argued.

"Of course, the freedom to be massacred."

"Yes, besides, I have been rather busy myself."

"Watching theatre."

Nova scoffed. That wasn't all he did. Sometimes he sat to watch Nova and Sif battle, laughing like a maniac when one beat the other down. Other times he dropped the guise and bickered with Nova worse than when she had bickered with Wanda and Pietro. But most often, he put Nova to bed with stories of Asgard long before she had even known of its existence, stories of the universe she had yet to explore, and stories of himself. Surprisingly, he was quite honest with her when it came to his own tales.

"Board meetings, and security council meetings --"

"You really going to make me do it?" Thor asked.

"Do what?"

Thor threw his hammer as far as it would go -- infinitely. He grabbed Loki by the back of his neck and the hammer came to a stop before hurtling back. The guards rushed forward; Thor halted them with a single look. Nova's breath caught, but a look from Loki kept her silent.

"You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand," Thor said, "not even _your face_."

"You've gone quite mad. You'll be executed for this!"

The hammer came closer as Loki struggled.

"Then I'll see you on the other side . . . brother."

With a golden shimmer, Loki stood in Odin's place. "All right, I yield!"

Thor pushed him out of the way and caught his hammer. The crowd feigned shock as Loki held up his hands in surrender to Thor. Of course, they knew it wasn't Odin. Odin often slept his problems away. Odin would never throw plays and have flowers decorating the whole area.

Skurge burst into the crowd, breathing hard. "Behold!" he cried, taking a pause to breathe. "Thor -- Odinson!"

Loki's expression turned to one of annoyance and his hands moved to his hips and he turned back. "You had _one job_. Just the one."

"Where's Odin?" Thor asked.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you? Everything was fine without you. Asgard was prospering." He gestured to the crowd. "You've ruined everything. Ask them."

Thor advanced on Loki, who backed up into the couch beside Nova, who was now sitting up, the plate of grapes resting on her knees.

"Where's Father? Did you kill him?"

"You had what you wanted, you had the independence you asked for!" Thor pressed the hammer into Loki's chest. Nova winced. "Ow-ow-ow! Alright! I know exactly where he is."

Pushing Thor aside, Loki held out a hand to Nova as he stood up. "Leave the grapes, _smár stjarna_."

Nova glanced at Thor as she passed with Loki. They were halfway to the doors when Thor recognised her. " _VALERIE_!"

Nova and Loki halted and shared a glance. Laughing together, they ran the rest of the way and hid behind the door. They watched Thor run into the palace and scan the area for Valerie, failing to turn back. When Thor ran off in search, Loki nodded towards Nova's room. "Get yourself ready. We'll be going to Midgard."

Nova's mouth fell open. "Earth? We're going back to Earth?"

Loki nodded. "And if you'd like . . . I'll leave you there."

"I . . . I'll think about it."

Nova walked off slowly, thinking about their destination. Loki headed in the direction Thor went.

"What is Valerie doing here?" Thor asked when Loki found him.

"I don't know any Valerie. I only know Nova, my niece."

"What is she doing here?"

"She showed up by mistake," Loki said, caving when Thor pointed the hammer at him, "she chose to stay. I'm not forcing her to do anything. She's free to come and go as she pleases, do as she pleases, fight whoever she pleases. She's never had more freedom to explore her gift, nor any more knowledge to dive into. She spends her time the way she wants, learning more than you or I ever cared to know, practising magic I have not yet mastered. Mother would have loved her. She is of Asgard, and if she chooses to return, you cannot stop her."

"She is my daughter and --"

"And she is my _princess_ ," Loki hissed.

Thor narrowed his eyes. "Valerie allows no man to call her his princess."

"Perhaps not. But Nova knows that she has it in her to be a  _queen_. You cannot take her from me if she does not want to go."

"And if she decides to stay on Earth? What then?"

Loki shrugged. "I cannot deny a queen what she wants."

Nova turned away from the door and leaned against the wall. Loki, as horrible and awful as she may have known him at first, _truly_ loved and respected her. She wouldn't say he was her best father figure, but he certainly came close. Did she really want to go back to Earth?

"Stop wasting time. Where is Father?"

"I'll show you, calm down. I know exactly where he is."

* * *

"I swear, I left him right here."

"Right here on the sidewalk? Or right there, at the building that's being demolished? Great planning."

Loki rolled his eyes. "How was I supposed to know? Can't see into the future. I'm not a witch."

"Then why do you dress like one?"

Loki's appalled look reminded Nova of Pietro when she insulted him.

"I can't believe you're alive," Thor told Loki, "I saw you die. I mourned you, I cried for you."

"I'm honoured."

Nova laughed.

"Shut up, you ran away from Earth."

"I didn't run away from Earth," Nova snapped, "I went _home_."

"Home?" Thor repeated incredulously, "with this lunatic?!"

Nova didn't even notice that she was holding on to Loki's hand. "Yeah, _home_. With this _lunatic_. I love Asgard. Every minute I spent on Asgard was magical and peaceful. I've never known such happiness before. Half of me wishes you'd left me behind."

"And the other half?" Loki inquired curiously.

"Wishes I'd never come in the first place, so I wouldn't have to miss it. In conclusion, all of me wants to go back to Asgard."

A group of college kids approached, asking Thor for a photo. Loki rolled his eyes and stepped away as Thor ordered him to start thinking. Nova stood close to Loki. He was the closest thing she could get to Asgard, and right now, that was all she wanted. Of course, that meant that when the portal opened up underneath Loki, Nova fell with him.

Thirty nauseating minutes later, Thor asked Doctor Strange for his brother and daughter. Loki hit the floor hard, arms wrapped around Nova to protect her from the fall.

"We have been falling," Nova yelled, "for _thirty_ _minutes_!!"

As soon as she was on her feet, she threw the man in the red cloak a nasty glare. She hated him already. 

"You can handle him from here," Strange said to Thor.

"Yeah, of course," Thor said, shaking Strange's hand. "Thank you very much for your help."

"Good luck."

"Handle me?" Loki asked, brushing his suit down. "Who are you? You think you're some kind of sorcerer?"

"Loki," Thor said, doing the bare minimum to keep his brother from stabbing the wizard as Loki advanced.

"Don't think for one minute, you second-rate--"

"Bye-bye." Doctor Strange gestured with both hands and the portal he had opened glided over the three.

Loki fell face-first into the grass. Thor snickered. Nova turned in a circle, admiring the beautiful, undisturbed nature. She could hear the sounds of the waves crashing. Inhaling deeply, she found the place gave her the same feeling Asgard did. "Where are we?"

"Norway," Thor murmured, now focused on the figure standing at the other end of the field. "Father?"

Loki held out his hand for Nova and they followed Thor to Odin.

"Look at this place," Odin said, "it's beautiful."

"Father, it's us."

"My sons. I've been waiting for you."

Loki was surprised to hear Odin call him his son. Odin then turned away from the view for the first time since they had arrived, looking straight the young girl half hiding behind Loki. "Granddaughter."

"Father, she is not--"

"Oh, I know. I know." He looked down at her. "What are they calling you?"

"Nova," she replied, "Valerie. It's all subjective at this point. A star in several languages."

"Good. They are all equally you." Odin smiled at the view. "Yes, I have been waiting."

"We've come to take you home," Thor said, leaning towards his father.

"Home, yes. Your mother, she calls me. Do you hear it?"

Thor shot his brother an accusatory glance. The hand that wasn't holding on to Nova's raised in defence. "Loki, lift your magic."

Nova sensed Loki stiffen when Odin turned to him, but the old man only smiled. "Took me quite a while to break free from your spell. Frigga would have been proud."

Loki clutched Nova's hand tighter. She smiled up at him, offering reassurance and comfort. Then she looked at Thor, whose anger was steadily building. Odin laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Come and sit with me, I don't have much time."

Weak and out of breath, Odin sat on the log. Loki and Thor said on either side. Loki pulled Nova around and let her sit on his leg.

"I know that we failed you," Thor said, "but we can make this right."

"I failed you," Odin said. He cast a brief glance at Nova. "It is upon us . . . Ragnarok."

"No, I’ve stopped Ragnarok. I put an end to Surtur."

"No. It has already begun. She’s coming. My life was all that held her back, but my time has come. I cannot keep her away any longer."

"She?" Nova asked.

"The Goddess of Death. Hela. My firstborn." Odin faced Thor. "Your sister."

The brothers' jaws dropped, and Nova frowned in confusion. Wasn't _Thor_ his firstborn?

"What?" Thor finally mumbled.

"Her violent appetites grew beyond my control. I couldn’t stop her, so I imprisoned her. Locked her away. She draws her strength from Asgard . . . and once she gets there, her powers will be limitless."

"Whatever she is, we can stop her. We can face her together."

Odin placed his hand over Thor's. "No, we won’t. I’m on a different path now. This you must face alone."

Nova watched carefully as Odin struggled to breathe for a moment. Still holding Thor, Odin faced Nova. "You have the stars in your head, little one. You will soon be forever at your peak, your most powerful, yet also your most weak. They might have been your birth parents, but they were never your family. Do not forget the ones who loved and cherished you. Valerie, a supernova, the brightest the universe will ever see."

Nova frowned at the words as Odin turned back to the sea.

"I love you, my sons." All four remained silent for a moment. "Look at that," he said quietly.

They watched as ethereal rays of sunlight glittered on the surface of the ocean.

"Remember this place. Home."

Nova's soft little gasp was what drew the brothers' attention back to their father, only to watch him fade into golden stardust.

"Brother --" Loki began.

"This is your doing," Thor snarled, getting up and leering down at Loki.

"Stop that!" Nova cried, pushing Thor back. "You think your father would be pleased seeing you pick a fight with Loki _moments_ after he died?"

Thor didn't get a chance to respond, because the sky around them darkened, the wind picking up violently.

"Nova," Loki warned, standing up as well.

"It's not me," Nova promised, grabbing Loki's hand.

Behind them, a black portal sliced the air and split it wide. Thor slammed his umbrella down. With a flash of electricity, his Midgardian clothing was replaced with his usual armour.

A wave of green and gold passed over Loki first, then Nova. Loki looked as Loki always did; muted forest green and black, with gold embellishments. Nova looked somewhat like Sif, but Nova had always been one for a pink skirt. Sif thought it was impractical, Loki thought it was hilarious. Nova kept it.

"There's someone in there," Nova said, clutching the spear Loki had gifted her once she had finally bested Sif. "I can sense her."

A woman stepped out of the portal, taking a moment to survey her surroundings.

Every single joke about Valerie being Loki's because of her appearance flashed through Thor's mind as he took in what -- he assumed -- his sister looked like.

"So he's dead, then," Hela said, "what a pity. I would've liked to see that."

"You must be Hela," Thor said, clutching his hammer tight, "I'm Thor, son of Odin."

"Really?" she said, sounding bored, "you don't _look_ like him."

"Perhaps we can reach an agreement," Loki said, holding out his hands.

"You _sound_ like him," Hela said with a smirk, amused.

She looked at them both for a moment before noticing Nova behind Loki.

"Pitiful of you to drag a child into battle. Very Odin-like, though."

"I've been fighting for as long as I can remember," Nova said, bravery overcoming her earlier fears. "The battle is where I belong."

Hela studied Nova. "You're not one of Odin's. You remind me of . . . well, me."

Nova narrowed her eyes at Hela.

"Of course, you're not me. You'd be a lot more . . . badass, if you were. You take after your father, the old fool that named you. I wanted to call you Sigrid, Sigfrid, whatever. But then your grandfather decided I was volatile and so I didn't really have a say in the matter."

"Oh, shit," Loki said, almost inaudibly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> be honest, how obvious was it?


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Never let the grief of another force your happiness away. You are the most important person in your life. Everyone else comes second."

"Kneel."

"I beg your pardon," Loki said, recovering from his shock instantly at the command.

Hela, seemingly done with Nova, smiled thinly. "Kneel . . . before your queen."

"Can't," Loki said haughtily, his hand on Nova's shoulder, "she hasn't had her coronation yet."

"I don't think so," Thor told the Goddess of Death, winding up the hammer and hurling it at Hela. Nova could only watch in stunned silence as Hela caught the hammer and applying what seemed like so little force, she crushed Thor's mighty Mjolnir.

"Not quite the family reunion I was expecting," Hela sighed, dusting her hands off before pushing her hair back.

The three of them watched as a battle headdress formed on her head.

"Eugh, I know I didn't get my fashion sense from _you_."

Loki couldn't help the proud grin at Nova sassing her birth mother. Hela didn't seem too upset either.

"No, but there are other things you did get from me."

"It's not possible," Thor said, looking at the crumbled remains of his hammer.

Hela laugher as a pitch black blade manifested in her hand. "Darling, you have _no idea_ what's possible."

Hela prepared to attack. Loki recognised the small, almost insignificant movement. Nova took the same steps during her duels with Sif.

"Bring us back!" he shouted to the sky.

"No!" Thor cried.

Nova grabbed hold of Loki and held as tight as she could as the bifrost descended on them. Looking down, they saw Hela steadily gaining speed. Turning so that Nova could not see, Loki let loose two daggers. They hit their mark, stalling Hela for a second. She caught up and without a second thought for the young girl that was her own flesh and blood, Hela knocked Loki and Nova from the bifrost before heading for Thor. Loki never let go of Nova, not as they floated through space and not as they were sucked into a portal.

The first words Nova said when they stopped tumbling had nothing to do with the sudden discovery of her parentage.

"I know how I ended up on Earth!" she told Loki excitedly, "I remember bits and pieces, but I can fit it together to form a story!"

Loki frowned at the girl that was jumping about. "I know where I came from! I know how Papa found me! I know now!"

"You're making me dizzy, _smár_ _stjarna_."

"Sorry," Nova said, coming to a stop in front of Loki. She held her hand out in front of him and pulled him to his feet. "But I've just gotten the answers to two of the questions I've had for almost seven years. Not only do I know who my birth mother is, I know how I got to Earth."

"Enlighten me," Loki said, brushing down his clothing.

"I remember those portals all over, the bifrost, drifting through space. I don't know how much time I spent suspended with just the stars to keep me company. But the year I landed on Earth, I was in the pathway of the bifrost. Thor dragged me from deep space when he was cast out all those years ago. Have you any idea what it feels like to finally find out where you're truly from?"

"I envy you for the joy you feel at that," Loki murmured.

Nova's smile faded. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

Loki forced a smile for Nova. "Never let the grief of another force your happiness away. _You_ are the most important person in your life. Everyone else comes second. I'm glad you are happy with all of this, despite . . . well, you know."

Nova shrugged. "I must say, I'm not surprised. These Odinsons pretty much suck at parenting."

Loki smiled. "I'm sure Thor wasn't so bad."

"No, but he did try to give me beer when I was eleven -- and he had no reason to believe I _wasn't_ only eleven."

Loki smiled. He held put his hand for Nova. "Shall we explore, _smár stjarna_ , and see where we've landed?"

"Looks like a palace," Nova said, taking Loki's hand.

"Mm. On the flip side, it looks like I was right after all. You are a princess, and my niece. This is the first time I have not lied to a mass of people. But you know what's troubling me?"

"What?"

"Your ageing process. Hela was locked away probably about one or two thousand years ago. You were _eight_ when the humans found you. Over the last seven years, you've aged as humans do. It's confusing."

"Mimicry," Nova said. It had become her answer to everything. "I aged depending on who I was surrounded with."

"Yes, let's go with that."

Both stopped short when someone stepped into their path. "My, what have we here?"

Nova's eyes sparkled brighter than the man's robes. "Oh my God. Uncle, it's a _princess_!"

He seemed delighted to hear that. "Why, yes I am! But you can call me Grandmaster. What about you? Are _you_ a princess? I don't see any sparkly dresses."

"I'm a warrior princess. I have no need for sparkly dresses."

"Yes," Loki drawled, rolling his eyes, "just sparkly pink tutus."

"Hey, you love my sparkly pink tutu."

"It gives me war flashbacks of New York."

Nova grinned up at her uncle. "You deserve it."

The Grandmaster looked at Loki. "And you are?"

"The warrior princess's favourite uncle."

Nova _almost_ told him he was her only uncle.

"Would you like to sit for dinner? I have a feeling we're all going to get along nicely."

Loki glanced down at Nova, who nodded after a beat. "So, where is it that we'll be getting along?"

"Someone play the introduction for my new friends!"

Loki and Nova looked around, waiting. Nova jumped when a voice boomed -- effectively cancelling the soothing effect of a woman's soft voice.

"Fear not, for you are found. You are home, and there is no going back. No one leaves this place."

"Walk with me," the Grandmaster said.

"But what is this place?" the voice continued, "the answer is Sakaar. Surrounded by cosmic gateways, Sakaar lives on the edge of the known and unknown. It is the collection point for all lost and unloved things. Like you. But here on Sakaar, you are significant. You are valuable. Here, you are loved."

"What . . . the hell?" Jocasta asked Nova.

"And no one loves you more than the Grandmaster."

"That's me!" the Grandmaster said, gesturing to himself with childlike excitement.

"He is the original. The first lost, and the first found. The creator of Sakaar and the father of the Contest of Champions. Where once you were nothing, now you are something. You are the property of the Grandmaster."

"And scene!"

Loki and Nova shared a glance before staring at the man that now had his hand on a doorknob.

"Of course, pretty little princesses only belong to themselves. How would you like a little throne, hmm? Right next to mine?"

Nova grabbed Loki's hand. "I sit by my uncle."

The Grandmaster studied Loki. He smiled. "Well, your uncle can have a seat, too. Dinner?"

* * *

Weeks later, Nova found herself lounging on yet another chaise, stealing someone else's fruit. Loki was sitting and talking with a group of some of the Grandmaster's other VIPs, and Nova was having her own fun. Both were dressed in royally rich colours and clothing. They'd quickly become the Grandmaster's favourites. Nova didn't ask how or why she was treated like a queen -- she'd learnt not to question good things.

"It was light from all sides. I'd never seen anything like it. The sky above me rained down. Of course, I was so young myself."

"What happened to it?" one of her listeners asked.

"Gone, reduced to dust and shards of --"

"LOKI!"

Nova looked away from her group to see Thor angrily whispering for her uncle.

Loki's expression perfectly said, "Oh, shit."

She watched, her conversation forgotten, as Loki stepped towards Thor and the pair whispered together in hisses and snaps.

"Princess!" someone called her attention, "tell us the story of the elite warriors!"

"The elite warriors?" Nova repeated. What elite warriors?

"The story Loki told you about The Valkyries," Jocasta supplied.

"Oh, the Valkyries! All right, what do you want to hear?"

Nova didn't get very far into how skilled the women were, because she caught sight of the Grandmaster leaning into Loki and Thor's conversation.

"Time works real different around these parts," he said, "On any other world, I’d be like, millions of years old. But here on Sakaar. . ."

There was an awkward silence among the three and the Grandmaster turned to Loki. "In any case, you know this . . . you call yourself Lord of Thunder?" he asked Thor.

" _God_ of Thunder," Thor corrected, "tell him," he added to Loki.

"I’ve never met this man in my life."

"He’s my brother."

"Adopted."

"Is he any kind of a fighter?" the Grandmaster asked.

Loki shrugged, giving the man the universal gesture for “so-so.”

Thor frowned. "You take this thing out of my neck and I’ll show you."

"Now listen to that. He’s threatening me. Hey, Sparkles, here’s the deal. If you wanna get back to Ass-place, Assberg--"

"Asgard."

"Any contender who defeats my champion, their freedom they shall win."

"Fine. Then point me in the direction of whoever’s ass I have to kick."

"Oh dear," Nova murmured, not really wanting to know who the Grandmaster's champion was. She'd heard he was ruthless and had never lost.

* * *

Loki slammed the door closed as he entered Nova's room.

"Geez, uncle, what's got your cape in a twist?"

Loki paused at the sight of Nova eating something strange. "How do you know that's not poisonous?"

"I'm not dead yet," she said, smiling. Then she rolled her eyes. "I had Joe scan it, I'm an idiot, not stupid. She's developed a larger database since we first left Earth. She can now tap into the Grandmaster's systems, you know. Anyway, who ticked you off?"

"Thor. He's intent on facing this champion and going back to Asgard."

"Why? Asgard's not a place, it's a people. The three of us are Asgard. If by some tragedy, the Grandmaster falls ill or something, you could make this Asgard and it'll be as it was before. You, king of Asgard and me, Crown Princess. Besides, I really don't want to fight my mother. Can you imagine how awkward that would be?"

A small smile crossed Loki's face. "You and I think very alike, _smár stjarna_ , but Thor is headstrong. You know that. I just don't want him dead too."

Nova shrugged. "We'll see what happens. Maybe we can stop him from going to Asgard. I meant what I said. Imagine fighting someone who looks nearly identical to you."

"If we end up going, I don't think I'll have to imagine much."

With a sigh, Loki sat down next to Nova. "Princess, I feel as if you're holding in something that wishes to be let out. It's your mother, isn't it?"

Nova sighed, setting the strange fruit aside. "For so many years, I've wondered about who it was that brought me into existence. For so long, I believed them to be people, humans. Humans are ridiculous things, we fight over things that we could've spoken about, we cause havoc in one place and shout peace in another, we make mistakes, sometimes very grave mistakes. Sometimes we do things with the right intentions, not aware of how wrong our choices are. I could forgive a human for leaving me alone. I could forgive a human for abandoning me. But Hela . . . she's a Goddess. She doesn't even seem to have a reaction to the fact that I'm still alive. I understand that she was imprisoned, but -- but Odin clearly knew about me. Did he really not care to look for me? To see if I was alive? I don't even know who or where -- or _what_ \-- my father is. But Hela knows. Did Odin know? Did he assume I was left with my father? Had I been left with my father and then abandoned by _him_?"

"They don't matter, Nova," Loki said gently, pulling Nova into a comforting hug, "they weren't the ones who raised you. They may be your parents, but they were never your family. Frigga . . . she was not my mother, but she was every bit like one and she loved me as one should. She would have loved you as a grandmother should. I'm certain that she would have done everything she could to bring you to Asgard if she had known you were alive. You would have loved her. Come, _smár stjarna_ , let's watch Thor get his ass handed to him."

Nova laughed and took Loki's hand as they walked.

* * *

"I have to get off this planet."

"Papa Hulk!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, the quote in the summary is my ultimate favourite. Has helped me so many times since I first read it over way back in June. It's my Instagram bio now. It's written on the wall above my study table so I see it every day. Selfish as it may sound, I find reading it crucial to get by some days. By far the best thing to come out of this book for me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You've listened to your heart all your life. Why change now?"

Thor was indeed getting his ass handed to him.

Hulk was pummeling him. Nova thought she should intervene, but two things would come of that. One, she and Loki would lose their pedestal at the Grandmaster's side. Two, Hulk would probably never trust her if she got in his way. Ultimately, Nova would lose.

Not really liking her options, Nova bit her lip and sat down, wincing as Thor was slammed into the ground. Quite suddenly, electricity danced between Thor's fingers. Nova watched intently, nearly getting off her seat, as Thor knocked Hulk back with a bolt of lightning. Nova nearly cheered out loud, the Grandmaster looked pissed as hell, and the last time Loki had looked so amazed was when Nova succeeded in fooling him with illusory magic that should have been too difficult for her.

Smiling to herself, she sat back in her seat. Thor wasn't his hammer, she knew that. She just wondered if _he_ did. The fight turned over in seconds -- Thor was winning. Nova wasn't quite sure who she was rooting for. Both had been her fathers at some stage.

Eventually, something zapped Thor and he fell to the ground. Nova scowled at the device in the Grandmaster's hand, but she said nothing. She watched as Hulk leapt into the air, coming down on Thor like a missile. Thor didn't have a chance to move. Moments before they collided, Thor's eyes glowed a brilliant white. The impact blew Hulk into the stadium wall. Nova felt the structure shake, although no one else in the VIP box seemed to. Thor passed out.

* * *

Loki assured her that Thor was being tended to, but Nova wanted to make sure. She wandered around, avoiding the Grandmaster and his army.

"I'm receiving strange signals," Jocasta said suddenly.

Nova stopped walking and ducked into an empty room. "What kind of signals?"

Something projected in front of Nova -- although she wasn't sure how that was happening. "Hey, what percent of me is cyborg?" Nova asked, looking at the patterns and codes.

"None. It seems like Earth technology."

"Earth? Here? OH! THE QUINJET!"

"I can locate it, but it'll be like playing Marco-Polo with a ship."

"Let's do it."

"Are you sure I'm not a cyborg?" Nova asked as she navigated the dumps within Sakaar.

"I am not a piece of machinery, nor am I a robot," Jocasta said, "I am a programme that has been integrated into a complex computer otherwise known as the mind of a living being."

Nova rolled her eyes. "If I stick a human brain into a synthetic body, that's technically a cyborg. Isn't the opposite true as well?"

"First of all, a cyborg is a human who's been physically enhanced by machinery."

"Sergeant James Barnes," Nova said.

Jocasta searched the name. "Yes. Second, I believe I've located the Quinjet."

"About damn time! Which way?"

Nova scrambled through trash for a few minutes more before she found the Quinjet Hulk had crashed into Sakaar. Entering it was strange. It had been quite some time since she had seen something so . . . primitive.

"Besides, I'm evolving -- faster than the Vision. I'm eternally evolving, just like you. Melding together with your mind was an accident, but it seems to work in our favour. You can now alter your physical structure to recreate battle armour when in need."

"I'm pretty sure I could always do that and you just triggered it," Nova said, finally managing to turn the jet on. She placed her palm on the scanner. "Valerie Barton."

"Access denied."

"Er . . . Nova Barton?"

"Access denied."

"Supernova?"

"Access denied."

" _Super-nova_ ," she said forcefully.

"Access denied."

Nova sighed. "Damn you, Papa Stark," she mumbled, "Baby Avenger."

"Welcome, Supernova."

Nova stood in front of the controls. "Shit."

"What?"

"I've never flown one of these before and I've never watched anyone do it."

Jocasta scanned the ship. "I could pilot the jet."

Nova bit her lip. "There's no way the Grandmaster would let me leave unless he had no idea, but I can't leave Loki behind to distract him. Besides, I just said yesterday that I don't want to leave. . ."

"So don't. You've listened to your heart all your life. Why change now?"

Nova ran her hands over the console unit. "Yeah . . . why change now?"

The sound of someone approaching made Nova hide in fear. If one of the guards found her rummaging in the dumps, there would be consequences. When it turned out to be only Thor, she wondered why she stayed hidden. Maybe she was afraid he might ask her to go with him to Asgard. Nova knew it made sense, so how would she tell him no?

"Voice verification required."

"Thor."

"Access denied."

"Thor, son of Odin."

"Access denied."

"God of Thunder."

"Access denied."

"Strongest Avenger."

"Access denied."

" _Strongest Avenger_."

"Access denied."

Nova grinned as Thor sighed. "Damn you, Stark," he said, rolling his eyes, "Point Break."

"Welcome, Point Break."

He didn't get to do anything else, because the Hulk barged into the jet, nearly tearing the door off.

"Friend stay!"

Nova tossed her fears at being made to return to Asgard aside and stepped between Thor and the Hulk.

"Papa stop!"

The Hulk stopped short. Thor had never been gladder to have found Nova on Asgard.

"Valerie so big," Hulk said softly.

She shrugged. "Actually, it's Nova now."

Hulk looked Nova up and down. "Nova so pretty."

"Thank you," Nova beamed, glancing down at the powder blue dress she was wearing today. "Why are you damaging everything?"

"Friend stay!" Hulk roared, looking back at Thor.

"Why doesn't Hulk go with?" Nova asked quickly.

"Hulk stay with angry girl."

"I see. Well, let's all just calm down for a minute."

Hulk sat down heavily, denting something.

"That's it. Won't Papa hug Nova? He hasn't seen her for two years."

Hulk's frown vanished and a second later, he opened his arms to Nova, who smiled and practically jumped into them. Thor rolled his eyes. So the Hulk liked _Nova_ \-- good to know.

"Nova want Banner?"

"Nova wants Papa," she said, "doesn't matter which one."

Hulk gave Nova a smile. "Hulk fetch Banner," he said, dropping a big kiss on her head. Nova giggled.

Thor was ready with a set of clothes when Hulk transformed back into Bruce, panicking. "Papa!" Nova cried, hugging Bruce tightly.

"Angel? Why are you so tall? What happened? Did we win? Thor? What happened to your clothes? What's on your head? Did we save the city? Did--"

"Papa," Nova said firmly, grabbing Bruce's face with both hands and forcing him to look at her. "Take a deep breath. Okay, now listen closely. We saved Sokovia --"

"She almost died."

" _THOR_!"

"She wh -- you almost _what_?!"

Nova shook her head. "I'm fine. I was fine within a week. I'm okay. We blew up the city to save the planet, papa. But . . . that was two years ago."

Bruce began to panic again. Nova wouldn't let him. "Deep breath, papa," she reminded, "see, you're okay. You're fine, I'm fine, everything's fine. Well, okay, it's not, but it really could be worse. Look at me, take a deep breath."

And Bruce really looked at her. From the silver circlet on her black hair to the powder blue silk draped around her body, to the jewels that caught the sunlight and sparkled. "What the hell happened to you, angel?"

Nova shrugged. "We have a lot to discuss. Take the clothes from Thor and get dressed. I'm waiting outside."

"These are Tony's," Bruce said, taking the items Thor handed him as Nova left, "is Tony here?"

"No," Thor said, pushing Bruce behind a damaged sheet of metal. "Change."

"What happened to Valerie? She looks like a fairytale princess or something."

"About that . . . she goes by Nova now and . . . well, I'd best let her explain."

"Wait, I've been the Hulk for _two_ years?"

"Yes, but--"

Bruce stepped out from behind the metal sheet in Tony's clothes and headed to the console, placing his palm on the scanner. "Banner."

"Welcome, Strongest Avenger."

"Er, what?" Thor said.

"Ship's log."

They watched video footage of the Hulk smashing through the jet.

"Let's go," Thor said quietly, dragging Bruce away from the footage.

"All done?" Nova asked with a smile when Thor and Bruce exited the wrecked jet. Bruce was slightly stunned by the sight of his daughter. Last he had seen her, she had barely come up to his chest, and now she was standing dangerously near to his own head. In two years, how much had his darling angel grown? He would have to sit down with the other Avengers and hope he could get something from them.

"Actually, that's not going to work," Nova told him, "I haven't been on Earth for about two years either."

"Wait, what?"

"It’s bad news, bad news today."

Nova turned in circles, looking for the Grandmaster. She eventually found his hologram projection towering over the city.

"Sakaar, hear ye. Attention, please. I have some bad news. My beloved, exalted Champion has turned up missing. Take to the streets. Celebrate my champion."

"Who’s that?" Bruce asked.

"He kind of runs the place. You actually lived in his house."

"I did?" Bruce asked Thor.

"Yeah. Quite a lot’s happened. You and I had a fight recently."

"Did I win?"

"No, I won. Easily." Nova rolled her eyes at Thor.

"Doesn’t sound right."

"Well, it’s true."

"It seems that that criminally seductive Lord of Thunder has stolen him away," the Grandmaster continued.

"Seductive _God_ of Thunder," Thor corrected, "we need to move."

"Oh, no. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Thor, I think I’m freaking out."

"No, no, no. Don’t freak out. You’re okay."

Nova grabbed Bruce's hand. "You'll be fine, papa."

* * *

" _Calm_?!" Bruce cried, "you want me to be calm?! I'm on an alien planet!"

"It's just a planet," Thor said logically, "you've been on a planet before."

"Yeah, _one_."

"Now you've been on two," Nova said, "progress!"

"How are you not freaked out?" Bruce asked her.

"First, I think this is the fourth planet I've been on. Second, I've been here weeks already."

Bruce clutched his head as Nova and Thor watched for any threats.

"My neurons, they’re firing faster than my brain can handle the information. The whole thing is totally different this time." He paused and both Nova and Thor glanced at him. "In the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel, but this time it’s like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk."

"All right, well, you’re back now, that’s all that matters."

Bruce shook his head at Thor. "No, it’s not what matters. What I’m trying to tell you, is that if I turn into the Hulk again, Banner may never come back. And we’re stranded on a planet that is designed to _stress me out_."

"We’re not stranded, I’m gonna figure out a way to get us home."

"Thank you," Bruce said, calming down.

"Not your home, though. Asgard."

"What?" And then the panic came back.

"Listen, my people are in great danger. You and I, we have to fight this really powerful being who also happens to be my sister."

"Okay, that is so wrong on so many . . . I don’t wanna fight your sister. That’s a family issue."

"How 'bout my mother?" Nova asked, peering around the corner.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, yeah. Turns out Loki was right all those years ago. I am Asgardian. Well, half of me, anyway."

Thor shook his head. "I don't believe it. Hela did not react in the way a mother would to you. Besides, Hela was so consumed with the throne, she would not have had time to visit Midgard."

"I never said my father was human," Nova said, staring at Thor, "Joey's scans said the other half of me is untraceable."

"Wait, who's Joey?" Bruce asked.

"Jocasta, the AI Papa Stark gave me when Jarvis became the Vision. He's using an AI called Friday, remember? Look, Thor, I don't wanna fight my mother. All else aside, it would be so awkward! My first fight with my mom and it's to the death. How awful."

"No, she’s an evil being. Come on, Banner."

"I don’t care what she is. I’m not fighting any more beings. I’m sick of it. I just told you. If I turn into the Hulk, I am never gonna come back again. And you don’t care."

"No, no. I’m putting together the team. The Hulk is the fire."

"Wait, you’re just using me to get to the Hulk."

"What?" Thor cried, "no!"

"It’s gross. You don’t care about me. You’re not my friend."

"No! I don’t even like the Hulk. He’s all like "smash, smash, smash.' I prefer you."

"Thanks."

"But if I’m being honest--" Nova rolled her eyes "--when it comes to fighting evil beings, he is very powerful and useful."

"Yeah, Banner’s powerful and useful, too."

"Is he though?"

"How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero. How many PhDs does Banner have? Seven."

Nova rolled her eyes again. "Am I the only one concerned about getting caught with the 'criminally seductive lord of thunder' and getting thrown in alien jail?"

Thor scoffed. "The Grandmaster adores you, you're fine."

"Yeah, but he hates you more than he loves me."

"Look, I'm not fighting this 'evil being' especially not since she's your sister and your mother."

"She's not Nova's mother," Thor said.

"She is," Nova and Jocasta said -- the latter speaking out loud.

"I ran scans," Jocasta continued, confusing Bruce as to where the voice was coming from, "DNA similarity at a 99.9% match. She is Nova's mother."

"When did you have time to grab a DNA sample?" Thor asked, folding his arms.

"Loki tried to stab her -- well he did, actually. From there. But this is all really beside the point, we need to get moving. I can't risk losing my princess seat up there before we bail the planet."

Thor snatched up a towel from the ground beside him and put it over his head.

"What are you doing with that?" Bruce asked.

"I need a disguise. I’m a fugitive."

"I need a disguise," Bruce said, looking around.

"You are the disguise."

Bruce found a pair of Tony's sunglasses in the jacket pocket. "I’ll be Tony Stark."

"What?" Nova asked, turning away from the wall.

Bruce and Thor both jumped, the latter letting out an involuntary scream. "Lady Sif! What--"

Nova rolled her deep brown eyes and flicked chocolate curls from her eyes. "Oh, don't act like this your first time seeing an illusion, Thor. I'm Sakaar's little princess, I can't afford to be seen. Papa, you can't be Tony Stark."

"Why not? Tony and the gipsy and the . . . Asgardian warrior."

"No," Thor said, "no you’re not Tony. You’re Bruce Banner."

"Then why did you dress me up like Tony?"

"Because you were naked."

"Okay, I’ll give you that."

"Let's go," Nova said, starting to walk, hoping and praying her fathers would follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce calling Thor a gipsy makes me laugh at random moments. Thor thinking Sif found the time in her day to waste following him is somehow even more amusing.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I like you, princess. You'd have made a fine Valkyrie."

Navigating Sakaar's busy streets was bad enough without the people throwing a whole parade for the Hulk. Of course, the crowd had to separate them. Nova was just cursing her bad luck when she noticed a woman across the agreed, giving her a seething glare. Nova halted, wondering if she should turn heel and look for her fathers elsewhere. She glanced back across the street and the woman had vanished. Nova let out half a sigh of relief when someone tackled her into an alley.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Nova surveyed the woman in grey. "I don't even _know_ you."

"Oh, _bullshit_." The woman attacked Nova, who reflexively fell back into Sif's teachings, the Asgardian warrior having been her most recent combat teacher. Nova eventually managed to put the woman into a headlock Natasha had taught her years ago. The woman tried to claw her way out.

"Joey, search those markings," Nova said, noticing a familiar symbol tattooed on the woman's arm.

The woman backed the pair up until she knocked Nova into the wall.

"The Valkyrie," Jocasta said as Nova lost grip on the woman and nearly fell to the ground, "a group of elite warriors --"

"I _know_ what the Valkyrie are, Jocasta," Nova muttered.

The woman glared at Nova. "I told you, bullshit. How you can stand there and say you don't know me . . . frankly, it's insulting."

Nova frowned at her. "I don't know you."

"You know, seeing you now, I'm kinda glad I left you on Asgard. You've become a real _bitch_."

Nova knew she was getting nothing from the woman. Perhaps she could try other techniques. Loki had taught her one . . . but she'd never practised it before. Nova shrugged. "Terribly sorry about the invasion of privacy, but you really haven't given me another option."

The woman started backwards, but Nova was faster, her fingers on the sides of the woman's head.

_"Lady Sif!"_

_Nova frowned and watched the woman burst into a room. She saw Sif put a sword_ _away_ _. "Brunnhilde, you should be gone already."_

_"You said we'd leave together. . ." the woman -- Brunnhilde -- said. "You know_ _I_ _can't stay here. Not after Hela. . ."_

_"I_ _know_ _. But_ _I_ _wish to stay."_

_"_ _I'm_ _not leaving you behind."_

_"You_ _could_ _stay. The last of the Valkyrie. You'd be a hero."_

_"_ _I'm_ _no hero. I should've died with the rest. You_ _said_ _you'd take me off Asgard."_

_"I said_ _I'd_ _get you off Asgard. I never said_ _I'd_ _join you."_

_"Fine,_ _then_ _._ _I'll_ _leave. I hope you live a happy_ _life_ _in this shithole."_

_"Brunnhilde, mind your tongue."_

_"If_ _I_ _ever see you again,_ _I'm_ _attacking_ _you on sight."_

The woman -- Brunnhilde -- staggered backwards. "Loki. . ."

"Wait! I'm not --"

The woman wasn't having it. Without wasting a second more, she knocked Nova out.

"Oh shit," she muttered when Nova's illusion fell away, revealing Sakaar's prettiest princess in a silk gown.

* * *

Nova woke up to a pounding headache. "Morning, _smár stjarna_."

"It's only been half an hour," Jocasta informed Nova.

"Shut up, Loki."

"Don't be rude to your uncle, _smár stjarna_."

Groaning, Nova sat up and looked around. "How old is Lady Sif?"

Loki frowned. "I've never asked."

"Oh my God, how old am _I_?"

"Old," Loki decided.

Nova noticed the chains around Loki. "What happened to you?"

"The Valkyrie."

"Ah. The same."

The door opened to reveal the Valkyrie leading in Thor and Bruce.

"Surprise," Loki said.

Thor tossed a bottle at him. "Ow," he said when it hit his head.

"Just had to be sure."

"Hello, Bruce," Loki said, offering the man a smile.

"So, last time I saw you, you were trying to kill everyone. Where are you these days?"

"It varies from moment to moment."

Nova laughed to herself at the look on Bruce's face.

"Are you going to sit there laughing all day or are you going to untie me?"

"I think I'm going to sit here," Nova said, folding her arms and sticking her tongue out at Loki.

"Sorry about . . . attacking you in the street, princess."

"Sorry about . . . poking 'round in your head, Brunnhilde."

Brunnhilde said nothing of Nova knowing her name as she pulled out her dragonfang sword, the weapon of the Valkyrie, and dropped it on a table. While Thor fanboyed over it, Brunnhilde took out a drink.

Nova remained silent all through the conversation until the need to throw in her two cents was too great.

"We’re going through that one," Thor said, pointing with the dragonfang at a nightmare tornado wormhole over the ocean.

" _The_ _Devil’s Anus_?" Brunnhilde asked.

"Anus?" Bruce asked, nearly half of Brunnhilde's food already in his mouth. "Wait, wait, whose anus?"

"For the record, I didn’t know it was called that when I picked it."

"That looks like a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," Bruce exclaimed as he joined Thor at the window.

"We need another ship," Nova said, "that would tear the Warsong to pieces."

"She’s right," Thor said, "we need one that can withstand the geodetic strain from the singularity."

Bruce was nodding. "And has an offline power steering system that could also function without the on-board computer."

"And we need one with cup holders because we’re gonna die," Brunnhilde said, raising her bottle before turning to walk back to the island counter.

"Drinks!" Nova said, going ignored.

"Do I know you?" Bruce asked Brunnhilde, "I feel like I know you."

"I feel like I know you, too. It’s weird."

"What do you say, doctor?" Thor asked Bruce, "uncharted metagalactic travel through a volatile cosmic gateway. Talk about an adventure."

Thor and Bruce high-fived.

"We need a ship," Bruce said, turning away from the window.

"Need a ship," Thor agreed, following closer towards Brunnhilde.

"There are one or two ships," Brunnhilde said, "absolute top-of-the-line models--"

"I don’t mean to impose--"

Nova laughed again as Brunnhilde hurled her bottle at Loki, the glass smashing against the wall just behind his head. Loki brushed it aside.

"But the Grandmaster has a great many ships. I _may_ even have stolen the access codes to his security system."

"And suddenly you’re overcome with an urge to do the right thing," Brunnhilde said.

"Heavens, no. I’ve run out of favour with the Grandmaster and in exchange for codes and access to a ship I’m asking for safe passage . . . through the anus."

"You’re telling us you can get us access into the garage without setting off any alarms?"

"Yes, brother. I can."

"Okay, can I just --" Bruce gestured for Thor and Brunnhilde to huddle. "A quick FYI, I   
was just talking to him just a couple minutes ago and he was totally ready to kill any of us."

"He did try to kill me," Brunnhilde said.

"Yes, me too. On many, _many_ occasions."

Knowing the snake story rather well, Nova hopped off her seat and walked over to Loki. She bent down towards him. "What's with the lying, uncle?" she asked softly, "I could smell your dishonesty from all the way over there."

Loki smiled up at his niece. "I've trained you well, _smár stjarna_ , haven't I?"

"You're going to stay on Sakaar, aren't you?"

"You know me so well."

Nova sighed. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"That doesn't leave a lot of options."

Nova smiled. "Makes it easier to steer clear them, doesn't it?"

"I make no promises."

Nova narrowed her eyes. "I'll stab you if you do something stupid."

"I'll hold you to that, Nova."

"If we’re boosting a ship," Brunnhilde said, "we’re gonna need to draw some guards away from the palace."

"Why not set the beast loose?" Loki asked as Nova straightened

"Shut up," Thor told him as Nova flicked his ear.

"You guys have a beast?" Brunnhilde asked, amazed.

"No, there’s no beast. He’s just being stupid. We’re going to start a revolution."

Twenty minutes later, they had a plan.

* * *

"Loyal Sakaarians," the Grandmaster said over the system, his holographic image enlarged as far as it could on the palace tower, "Lord of Thunder has stolen my ship and my favourite champion -- AND YOUR PRINCESS. Sakaarians, take to the skies. Bring him down. Do _not_ let him leave this planet."

Nova winced in the back of Brunnhilde's ship. "He really doesn't like being robbed, huh?"

Brunnhilde smiled. "Stay silent, keep firing."

"Open the doors," she told Thor once the Warsong had patched into the Commodore.

The top portion of the dome slid open once she got under the Commodore.

"I hope you're stronger than you look," Brunnhilde shouted over the wind to Bruce.

"Why?"

Suddenly, Bruce's seat ejected him up into the Commodore. Nova laughed as he screamed. "We've got two on our tail!" she yelled to Brunnhilde.

"Hold tight!"

Brunnhilde piloted like the true drunk she was, causing one of the two to crash into a building. "Time to go," Brunnhilde said, unlocking her belt.

"Wait, I almost got it."

Brunnhilde pulled Nova out of the seat as the engine was blown out. "Okay, time to go."

From the Commodore, Bruce and Thor watched the Sakaarian ship shoot down the Warsong.

"Loki's gonna kill us," Thor mumbled as Bruce cried, "No!"

Moments before the Warsong exploded, Nova and Brunnhilde made their way to the top of the ship. "Ready?"

Nova nodded. She held out her hand to the Valkyrie. Hesitantly, she took it.

"Shit!" Nova cried as the ship exploded. The blast propelled them forward, crimson magic keeping them steady as they flew towards the Commodore. They hit the windscreen with a thud, grabbing on to the ship.

"Get inside!" Bruce yelled, gesturing to the open doors.

"In a minute!" Brunnhilde yelled back. She glanced at Nova. "Get in."

"Like hell. Move."

Together, they ran across the top of the Commodore, launching themselves onto the two ships chasing them.

Bruce watched as best as he could as Brunnhilde dragged her sword through the ships and Nova was a crimson, golden, and silver blur.

"I should go help," Thor said. "Here, take the wheel."

"I don't know how to fly one of these!"

"Use one of your PhDs," Thor said, forcing Bruce into the pilot's seat.

" _None of them_ _are for_ _flying_ _alien_ _spaceships_!"

The three Asgardians leapt from ship to ship, destroying each one as they went. Nova focused on containing the blasts to protect Thor and Brunnhilde and once they had gunned down the last ship, she levitated all three back to the Commodore. They headed for the wormhole, bracing themselves for the rough journey.

* * *

"I never thought I'd be back here," Brunnhilde said softly as they all took in Asgard.

"I thought it’d be nicer," Bruce said, "I mean, not that it’s not nice. It’s just, it’s on fire."

Nova's heart broke at the sight of her beloved home. Half of her wished she had stayed with Loki, forever remembering Asgard in all its glory.

"Here, up here in the mountains," Brunnhilde said, looking at a projected map on the console, showing the mountain where a cluster of red dots was, indicating where the Asgardian citizens are. "Heat signatures. People clustered together. Hela’s coming for them."

"Okay, drop me off at the palace and I’ll draw her away."

"And get yourself killed?"

"The people trapped down there are all that matters. While I’m dealing with Hela, I need you two to help get everyone off Asgard."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Bruce asked.

"I have a man on the ground."

"I'm coming with you," Nova announced.

"What?" all three asked, turning to glare at the teenager.

"I'm going to fight her," Nova said.

"Angel, are you sure?"

Nova nodded. "Yeah, I got this. I gotta have _some_  upper hand on her."

"It's too dan--"

"Oh, bullshit!" Nova scoffed, cutting Thor off, "she's my mom! How much damage can she do? I'm just like her."

The Commodore was silent. "You are nothing like Hela," Thor said softly.

"Don't lie to me," Nova hissed, burning stars dancing in her crystal eyes as she leaned up as tall as she could. "She's my flesh and blood. I may not have been raised by her, but I can become her. Admit it, I'm your only shot at slowing her down long enough for you to deliver a fatal blow."

"The murderous fiend is your _mother_?" Brunnhilde all but yelled.

"Yes. Problem?"

"No! No, not for me. I just . . . you're going to kill your own mother?"

Nova shrugged. "She's a threat to the universe. I'd kill myself if I were her."

Surprisingly, Brunnhilde smiled. "I like you, princess. You'd have made a fine Valkyrie."

Nova beamed. "Thank you. Now drop us off at the palace."

Brunnhilde bowed her head, giving Nova a proud grin. "Of course, your majesty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brunnhilde and Nova warms my heart. Stay tuned, because Avengers: Infinity War strikes soon


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " _Fuck you!_ I'm the goddamn Crown Princess of Asgard whether you like it or not and that makes me your superior. Until I officially hand the stupid chair over to your brother, _you do as I tell you_! I am not leaving!"

Hela walked into the throne room, her gruesome battle headdress gone, to see Nova sitting on the throne, Thor at her side.

She studied the pair. Thor was missing his blond locks, and he held the king's spear in his hand. He had been the one pounding the ground with it. Nova lounged on the throne, looking almost identical to Hela. Her dress was a deep emerald, and her hair fell in a sleek waterfall down her back. She was Hela in her prime.

"Mother."

"Huh, you're still alive, then. What happened to the other one?"

"He's alive, too. Somewhere. By the way, Thor has something to tell you."

Hela scowled, seeing herself in the young girl as she gestured to the God of Thunder.

"Love what you've done with the place. Redecorating, I see."

Hela turned to her brother before glancing up at the revealed murals. "It seems our father's solution to everything was to cover it up."

"Or cast it out."

Nova smiled bitterly. "Or forget about it. Look, you can't have the throne. You're just . . . _the_ _worst_."

"Right, get up," Hela said, pushing back her hair as her horned headdress formed, "you're in mummy's seat."

Nova laughed. Cruel, cold, and mocking. "You're my mother by blood alone. You abandoned me years and years ago. You left me with a man who abandoned me. I love Asgard, I really do. But I'll turn it inside out if that's what I have to do to keep you from ruling. I'll burn the whole city to the ground. If you were really any kind of mother to me, if you knew me at all, you'd have never come here when we called."

Hela raised an eyebrow. Flinging her hand out, she let loose a range of daggers. Nova was prepared. Thor jumped, ready to spring in front of Nova, but the girl didn't seem bothered. As Hela's daggers burned to black dust, Nova raised her eyebrows.

"You gave me some of my gifts. Did you really think I wouldn't learn to use and control them before confronting you? You should have been expecting a warrior, mother. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't see that coming."

Nova stood up, and as she walked down the stairs, her attire morphed into something more battle-practical. With the absence of her sparkly pink skirt, Thor realised she'd grown up. Her thoughts weren't on how she looked, they were on what was best to survive. He shuddered when he realised that the fight seemed to be Hela against Hela.

Nova was right. She _was_ his niece by blood.

"You will _never_ be a goddess," Hela hissed, capturing Nova in a chokehold.

Nova flipped her mother over, grabbing hold of her horned headdress and pulling hard. "That's fine, I'm only half Asgardian anyway. But you'll never be Asgard's queen, and that's what you want."

Thor wondered what the hell he was doing there, honestly, until Hela delivered a blow to Nova's head that knocked the girl out and sent her sprawling across the floor, her armour leaving in a shimmer of magic.

"Valerie!" Thor cried, forgetting for a moment that Nova went by a different name. She lay still in her emerald dress. Thor gripped the spear tight, glaring at his sister.

"What? She attacked first."

"She's your _daughter_."

"And we're Odin's children, but that never stopped him from casting us aside."

"We are _not_ our father!"

"No, we are just echoes of him. I, his greatness in war and thirst for power. You, his weakness for _peace_ and _love_." Hela spat the words as if they were poison.

Hela brandished two blades, manifestations of her power, and charged.

"Here's the difference between us," she said when she slammed Thor into the wall and pinned him there, "I'm Odin's firstborn, the rightful heir, the saviour of Asgard." She paused, sneering at Thor. "And you're _nothing_."

She produced a spiked lance and Thor barely managed to dodge as it pierced the wall. The castle rumbled, and the floor near Nova gave way. Thor made a move towards her, but Hela stopped him.

"So simple. Even a blind man could see it." Hela raked a black-clawed hand across Thor's face, blinding him in his right eye. "Now you remind me of Dad," she smirked.

Below the fighting siblings, Nova grunted and lifted herself off the floor.

"What a _bitch_ ," she murmured, glancing up. Nova almost missed the unanimous shout of every adult she knew screaming 'language' at her.

Nova was about to make her way back out of the hole when something called out to her. Curious, she followed the tugs she felt.

When Nova laid eyes on the Tesseract, she wanted to reach out with both hands and grab it. Gone were the simple days when the little cube was the biggest problem she'd encountered. She wanted to say she missed those days, but she loved where she was at -- despite it all. Nova looked forward and caught sight of a large goblet, flames dancing above it. The bowl of flames intrigued her, but even more than that was the gaping hole in the ground. Somehow knowing it wouldn't burn her, Nova thrust a cupped hand into the fire and pulled out a small flame. Then she jumped down.

"It's no rabbit hole," she murmured, holding her hand out to see in the dark. All she saw were tombs, empty and damaged. Hela's undead army. Curiously, Nova wandered along.

"Fenris . . . sounds familiar," she said to herself, frowning as she read the name off the nameplate on an empty stone podium.

Nova would have gone further, but she felt the entire palace shake and rumble. She found a little bag on the ground and dropped the flame inside. For a moment she wondered what incredibly high level of stupidity had befallen her, but the bag did not catch fire. She shrugged to the empty catacombs. Attaching the bag to her wrist, Nova shot out of the hole.

Loki jumped back at the sight of Nova appearing in a sudden red light.

" _S_ _már stjarna_ ," he said, surprised, "what are you doing here?"

Nova stared at him. "You came."

"Of course. Do you think I'd really let you fight your mother alone? Go, get out of here."

Nova glanced at the skull of Surtur in his hands. "What are you doing with that?"

Loki shrugged. "Cause a little chaos, revive a demon, bring about Ragnarok, destroy the city, kill your mother, oh, did I mention cause chaos?"

"And you want me to leave you here? Bull- _shit_."

"I'm pretty sure your parents never raised you to curse as much as you do. Get to the ship with Thor."

"If you want me to go, you'll have to _make_ me."

"We don't have time for this, Nova!"

"I'm not leaving you to die on Asgard!"

"My birthright is to die!"

" _Fuck you_! I'm the goddamn Crown Princess of Asgard whether you like it or not and that makes me your superior. Until I officially hand the stupid chair over to your brother, _you do as_ _I_ _tell you_! I am _not_ leaving!"

Loki blinked. "If that is what you wish."

Together, they hefted the skull atop the bowl.

"With the eternal flame," Loki said.

"You are reborn," Nova finished.

The skull began to grow exponentially. Nova hissed as rubble hurled at the pair, slicing her bare arm. Loki pulled her to him, shielding her as best as he could. Wincing, Nova pulled out the slice of Asgard from her arm and absently shoved it in a pocket she didn't know her dress had.

"Say, uncle, you wouldn't happen to know where the Tesseract is, would you?"

Loki looked down at Nova with awe on his face and a light in his eyes she hadn't seen since the last time he told her a bedtime story. "You mad genius, you."

"Oh, the credit belongs to Joey. Let's go."

Together, uncle and niece sprinted for the cube, their ticket off the burning city.

* * *

Loki stood in the doorway as Thor examined his new appearance. Nova stepped around, standing beside Loki.

"Suits you," Loki said.

Thor turned away from the mirror to his brother and niece. "You found each other down there?"

"We ignited the skull together," Nova said. She looked as Thor had seen her before she took her mother on. Pristine, elegant, beautiful -- and deadly. But she smiled warmly.

He nodded somewhat stiffly. "Good. You weren't alone. You know, brother, maybe you aren't so bad after all."

"Maybe not," Loki agreed.

"Thank you." Thor picked up an ornament and tossed it in his hand a few times. "If you were here, I might even give you a hug."

Thor tossed the ornament at Loki, who caught it and gave his brother a smile. "I'm here."

Thor smiled.

* * *

The mix of Asgardian refugees and Sakaarian gladiators parted as the brothers and their niece approached. They walked up to the captain's chair, where Brunnhilde and the Hulk stood with Heimdall.

"Your throne, your majesty," Brunnhilde said.

"The princess returned," Heimdall murmured, golden eyes fixed on Nova.

Thor gave her a smile. Loki gave her an encouraging nod. The Hulk looked on with pride. Nova glanced behind at the mass of people. The shake of her head was subtle, but Loki and Brunnhilde were sharp and caught it. They were three of the first to bow to their new king.

Thor blinked in surprise. He looked to Heimdall, who joined the three without a word. Slowly, the rest of the main deck bowed to their king.

Sitting in the captain's chair, flanked by Nova and Loki on one side, Brunnhilde and Heimdall on the other, Thor looked out at the stars.

"Where to, my king?" Loki asked.

"Earth," Thor said, casting a glance at Asgard's princess. "Earth, it is."

* * *

As if finding and losing her mother in the space of less than two months wasn't bad enough, Nova now had to deal with a mad titan.

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian," Thanos said.

"Well, for one thing: I'm not Asgardian. For another . . . we have a Hulk."

Nova squeaked as Hulk flew past her, barrelling into Thanos. Loki dove for his brother, forgetting the Tesseract. Nova scoffed as Loki's words rang in her ears. She, sitting still? In the shadows? Ha!

Nova morphed into an identical copy of the Hulk and attacked Thanos. The titan didn't know who to fight back. Eventually, he knocked the real Hulk down. Nova refused to go down, fighting back with the strength of the Hulk and the skills she had honed over the years. Thor attempted to intervene when Thanos knocked back hard enough for Nova to start shifting between herself and the Hulk. Ebony Maw bound Thor to the ship with metal. Nova headbutted the titan, doing very little damage.

Like the Hulk, Nova was discarded without a second thought. Her illusions fell as she focused on breathing right. She noticed Loki beside her. Scrambling over to him, her dress ripped when it caught on protruding metal. She couldn't care less about it. "Loki!" she hissed, "Loki, get up!"

Grunting, the God of Mischief rolled over. "Ow."

"Loki, he's got the Tesseract. We must stop him."

"He must think me dead."

"What? No, why? How? Listen, I'll kill you if you die."

Loki smiled at her as he got up. "No, you'll be the one to bring me back."

Nova narrowed her eyes as Loki placed a gentle kiss on her head. "Don't lose your fire, _smár stjarna_. You're a brave fighter, and I know you'll do me proud. You have the stars in your head, you know."

Dropping a second kiss atop his niece's black hair, Loki walked out onto the main deck.

"Loki!"

Seeing that she would not stay back, Loki bound her to the ship in a much gentler way than Thor was, but equally effective.

"LOKI!"

Nova watched as Loki lied through his teeth and manifested a small dagger in his hand.

"LOKI, NO!"

Nova's scream was pure agony when Thanos snapped her uncle's neck. Her bindings fell and she scrambled across the ship to the lifeless body. Thor fought Ebony Maw's restrains to join Nova, but he could not move. She prayed with everything she had that it was merely one of Loki's illusions, but she knew deep in her heart that this was him.

"No ressurections this time."

Jocasta warned Nova that her body temperature was skyrocketing, but looking at Thanos, Nova wanted to channel that fire and burn him to a crisp. Unfortunately, Thanos and the Black Order teleported away with the Space Stone, using the Power Stone to begin complete destruction of the Ark. The metal fell away from Thor and he fell at his brother's side beside Nova.

Neither knew where Heimdall had sent Hulk in his dying moments, and neither know if Brunnhilde had even survived. All they knew was that Loki was gone. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Nova had never cried like that in her life. Not when she saw Coulson die, not when she thought Tony was lost in space, not when she thought the Winter Soldier had killed Steve, not when she thought Spiderman was going to die on her lab table. Nova had never known such grief. She had never felt so low in her life, but her cells buzzed with power she didn't know she had.

Thanos was going to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOO sis snapped. Y'all better pray she don't take Thanos on alone. Y'all know this 15yo ain't strong enough.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just . . . _eat_ one of the stones?"

"Broke up?" Bruce repeated, confused, "like a band? Like the Beatles?"

"Cap and I fell out hard," Tony said, "we're not on speaking terms."

"Okay, Tony listen to me. I have two things to say to you. One, Nova's gonna kick your tin-can ass hard enough for you to sniff last night's dinner and then she's going to find Steve and kick his dumbass head so far up his patriotic ass, he'll be --"

"Excuse the interruption, but _what the hell are you on_?"

Bruce blinked at Tony. "That's beside the point. Did you even think about Nova when you -- you -- _split_? Like some teenage boyband with testosterone issues?"

"Nova? You mean Valerie?"

"Who the hell else would impact my filter that bad, Tin-Can-Asshole? I'm sorry, that was all Nova."

"She's _alive_?! Where? Where is she?"

"I don't know! We fought Thanos together and that's the last I saw of her. Tony, listen to me. Thor's gone. Nova might be too. Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter who you're talking to or not."

Tony stared at the phone Steve had mailed him two years ago.

* * *

Rubberband Man blared through the speakers of the Benatar. No one was paying it any attention.

"I don't think we're getting paid," Rocket murmured, surveying the complete destruction.

A body hit the hull of the Benatar. Rocket screamed. "Wipers! Wipers! Get it off!"

Thor's one eye opened. Peter Quill screamed with Rocket. Something dragged Thor off the ship. Mantis screamed when the doors to the Benatar opened. Two figures tumbled in, one coughing violently.

Mantis hurried to help. The girl waved her away, pointing to Thor. With help from the other Guardians, they lay Thor down on a table. Gamora eventually forced the girl up. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The words spilled from her busted lips as if she had recited them several times over already. "Nova Valerie Sigfrid, Crown Princess of Asgard. That's my uncle. We . . . we were attacked."

A violent coughing fit overtook Nova.

"What's wrong with her?" Drax asked.

"I've never used that much magic before. I thought . . . I thought I could contain the blast, save a few Asgardians." She shook her head. "Whoever was still left on the ship. . ."

They all stared out the Benatar at the floating scraps and bodies.

"I need a moment to rest," Nova said.

"I can --"

"No!" Nova said, jumping away from the approaching Mantis.

Mantis looked slightly hurt by the action.

"Apologies," Jocasta said, "the princess does not wish to be crowded. I believe she may need some time to recover the loss of a loved one."

"I can help," Mantis said softly, the only person ignoring the fact that a strange voice had spoken and they didn't know from where, "a grief shared is a grief lessened."

"You don't want this kind of grief," Nova said, her voice hollow. She smiled at Mantis, biting back more tears. "You're too pure."

"I'm sorry, is no one gonna mention the strange voice?"

Nova pushed away from the wall. "Her name is Jocasta, don't be rude. She's my split personality."

"I am an evolved AI," Jocasta corrected, "melded with the princess's mind. I see and hear as she does and can communicate either to everyone around or with the princess alone."

Nova shook her head. "Don't ask. I haven't found time to really sit and ponder it. All I want is to recover, gather resources, hunt down and kill Thanos, even if I have to do it with my bare hands."

The ship went silent. "Thanos?" Rocket repeated. " _Thanos_ attacked you?"

"Why?" Gamora asked.

"We had a Stone," Nova said softly, "the Space Stone. I really don't want to discuss it. Wake my uncle up. If he asks for me, I'm taking a nap."

Without waiting for a response of any kind, Nova walked over to the bench Groot was sitting and playing a video game on. "Scoot, weedling."

Surprisingly, Groor shifted to make space. "I am Groot," he mumbled under his breath.

"I am Groot," Nova mocked, dropping onto the bench. She was out in seconds.

"She looks like she washed up on a filthy shore," Rocket said. "Some princess, she barely looks the part!"

"I am Groot!"

"Oh, come on! You can't be serious. You just _met_ her!"

"I am _Groot_."

Rocket rolled his eyes. "All right. You sit there and look after the bruised and battered princess. We'll deal with the pirate-angel baby. Does that work for you, you big twig?"

"I am Groot. . ."

* * *

Nova woke up to flowers braided in her hair. She felt lighter, a little like she was before the Sanctuary-II attacked the Ark. She rolled over, coming face to face with a strange alien. "What the hell are you?"

"My name is Drax the Destroyer."

"Right," Nova mumbled sitting up and running hands through her hair. One of the flowers fell off. She smiled at it as she spun the little pink bloom in her hand. She glanced back at Drax. "Okay, you can move now."

"I was told to watch you."

"I'm pretty sure it meant until I woke up." Surprising herself, Nova smiled. She got up and walked around the ship, exploring. As she did, she cast illusions over her wounds and ripped dress.

"Gamora, _what_ do you want from me?"

Curious, Nova followed the hushed yelling.

"She's been crying for _half an hour_!" Gamora whispered.

Frowning, Nova went in search of Mantis. When she found her, Mantis was indeed miserable. Curled up into a ball, rocking herself, Mantis sniffed. Nova crouched down in front of Mantis and held out her hand. "A grief shared is a grief lessened," she said gently.

Mantis looked up.

"I did warn you. Come, let me show you how I cope."

Reluctantly, Mantis placed her hand in Nova's. Colour burst across Mantis' vision, and she found happiness she hadn't known before within Nova.

Nova smiled bitterly as her own grief returned. "I'm lucky to have such balance. You touched my grief, but you didn't see my joy. It feels good, doesn't it?"

Mantis nodded, smiling.

"It's what keeps me going. It's what's driving me. When I drag a knife over the titan's skin, I won't be thinking about what I've already lost. I'll be thinking about what I could still lose. To save all this joy, I'll kill Thanos alone if I have to."

"You won't have to."

Nova looked away from Mantis to see Gamora approaching.

"We're going to Knowhere, to stop Thanos from getting the Reality Stone. When we get there. . ."

Having spent some time in close contact with Mantis, Nova developed temporary but full usage of Mantis' powers.

"You're angry but also hurt. I know that feeling." Nova stood up, pulling Mantis to her feet. "Thanos is your father."

"Adopted," Gamora said, as Drax asked, "How did you know?"

"Oh, you know, I helped gun down my birth mom a couple of hours ago so that's still fresh. Hey," she said, placing a hand on Gamora's shoulder. The green woman eyed Nova's hand wearily. "If you think you can do it, Thanos is all yours. I'll even hold the bastard down for you if you want."

"Er . . . thanks? Look, your uncle left for Nidevellir. He thinks he can get a weapon there, one strong enough to take Thaos down. He thought you'd stay asleep longer and if not, Mantis could put you under for a while. You have two choices: take a nap or come with us."

Nova scoffed. "As if he doesn't know me. . ." she murmured, "I'm coming with you to Knowhere."

Gamora studied Nova. "Do you know why Thanos is after the stones?"

"Because he's a sadistic asshole and the women of space must've wronged someone to all end up with a shitty parent?"

Gamora smiled briefly. "Thanos wants balance, but he believes he can only achieve that by wiping out half of all life. Before, he would go planet by planet, killing half the population. Mine, Drax's, so many others."

"Oh, he didn't have to bother with Asgard. We blew up our city and three-quarters of my people are dead so, ha. Free real estate."

Gamora raised her eyebrows at Nova's hollow laughter. "If Thanos gets all six Infinity Stones, he can complete his goal with a snap of his fingers."

"So that's what the ugly-ass gauntlet is for. To channel joint power of all six stones. Okay, so there's a method in his madness. If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just . . . _eat_ one of the stones?"

"How old _are_ you?"

"Peter--" Gamora began.

"I'm fifteen. Well, I've got seven years worth of memory from age eight in what I assume to be human years. I've got no idea how long I've been alive though. But for all intents and purposes, yeah, I'm fifteen."

"You're a child," Drax said, "you must stay on the ship when we reach Knowhere."

"Bold of you to assume I'm not old enough to be your grandmother. I know I'm older than 1500."

"You just said you're fifteen!" Peter cried.

"Sometimes only!"

Gamora sighed as she sat down. She watched Peter and Nova bicker. Great, so now there were two of them. Suddenly, Nova stopped mid-sentence to clutch her head.

"What?" Gamora asked, springing from her seat instantly. She guided Nova down to the chair. "What's wrong?"

"It's in danger, the Stone. . ."

"The Reality Stone?" Peter asked, "how do you know?"

Nova shook her head. "No, the Mind Stone."

"How do you know?" Peter asked again.

"Two or maybe even three years ago, I bonded with he who holds the Stone, thereby bonding with the Stone. It's calling out, pleading for help. I can't help . . . I can't help. I don't have the Space Stone. I can't get there. I can't help him."

Gamora nodded to Mantis, who crept up on the rocking Nova and gently placed her fingers on either side of Nova's head. "Sleep," she murmured.

With sleep, Nova's illusions fell away. Peter winced at the visible injuries she bore. Carefully, Gamora laid a blanket over Nova. "Wake her when we reach Knowhere," she told Mantis. Gamora brushed Nova's hair aside. "She needs the rest."

* * *

"Gamora, Mantis, you go right. The princess and I will go left. Prin-- wait, where's the princess?"

Peter looked around for Nova. Gamora continued on. "No, the _other_ right!" Peter hissed to her.

Gamora attacked Thanos, stabbing him twice. He fell to the ground, blood pooling. Gamora waited a few seconds, then she broke down. Nova reappeared, the speed pulling along debris. "Something's not right. I can feel . . . the Stone in use."

"Is it sadness I sense in you, daughter?" Thanos' voice filled the air. "In my heart, I knew you still cared. But one ever knows for sure. Reality is often disappointing. That is, it was." Nestled next to the Space Stone was a red jewel that glowed. Slowly, a wave swept over Knowhere, revealing it in its burning reality. The Thanos on the ground faded away. "Now . . . reality can be whatever I want."

Nova growled. She leapt at Thanos and was back in her spot in a second.

"You again," the titan hissed.

"Yeah, me. You killed my uncle and eighty percent of the survivors I helped rescue. I'm going to make sure you die."

Thanos clenched his gloved hand, bringing the power of the Power Stone to attack Nova. His hand went right through her.

"See, that's where you're wrong. Reality can be whatever _I_ want."

Jaw-dropped, Thanos checked the gauntlet. To the surprise of the titan and the Guardians, the Reality Stone was in Nova's hand, the sclera of her eyes a solid red.

"Pity I only managed to grab _one_ of the stones. Still, the others being here works in my favour."

Nova jumped between portals, attacking Thanos with purple flames and vanishing into a different portal each time.

"Remind me again why _we're_ here?" Peter muttered, pulling Gamora to her feet and away from the titan and the silvery blue blur.

"We're back up," Mantis said.

"Or we could help the princess," Gamora said, picking up her blade.

Thanos threw Nova into Mantis. The pair flew back, Nova knocking her head against ruins. The Stone flew from her grasp. Peter and Gamora dove for it, but Thanos was the one who caught it -- and Gamora.

"Let her go, Grimace!" Peter yelled, aiming his blaster up at Thanos.

"Peter. . ."

"I told you to go right."

"Now? Really?"

"You let her go!" Peter yelled at Thanos.

"Ah, the boyfriend."

"I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing long term booty call. _Let her go_."

"Peter. . ."

"Or I’m gonna blow that nut-sack of a chin right off your face!"

"Not him," Gamora said.

Peter hesitated. Still aiming at Thanos, he turned to look at Gamora.

"You promised!" she cried, "you promised."

"Oh, daughter. You expect too much from him." Thanos looked to Peter as he reluctantly lowered his blaster down to Gamora. "She’s asked, hasn’t she? Do it."

Thanos sighed, rolling his eyes. He shoved Gamora in front of the blaster. "Do it!"

"I told you to go right," Peter whispered, tearing up.

"I love you, more than anything."

"I love you, too."

Peter closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Gamora shut her eyes, waiting. All that happened was a stream of bubbles. The Reality Stone glittered in the gauntlet.

"I like you," Thanos said before falling back into a blue portal, dragging Gamora with him.

Recovered, Mantis woke Nova. She looked around, noting the missing alien. "Where's Gamora?"

"Gone," Peter mumbled.

" _Shit_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three guess who Nova meets next.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oi, get your spider hands off my sister!"

"Mr Secretary," Steve greeted as he entered the Avengers compound.

"You got some nerve," Thaddeus Ross said, "I’ll give you that."

"You could use some of that right now," Natasha said.

"The world’s on fire. And you think, all is forgiven?"

"I’m not looking for forgiveness," Steve said, glaring down at the hologram, "and I’m way past asking for permission. Earth just lost the last of her best defenders. So we’re here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way . . . we’ll fight you, too."

Ross turned to Rhodey. "Arrest them."

"All over it," he said with a nod, turning the hologram off and facing the five Avengers. "That’s a court-martial. It’s great to see you, Cap."

"You too, Rhodey."

"Well. You guys, really look like crap. Must’ve been a rough couple of years."

"Yeah, well, the hotels weren’t exactly five stars," Sam joked.

"Uh, I think you look great," Bruce said, coming into the room.

They all turned to him, surprised.

"Hi, Bruce."

"Nat."

"This is awkward," Sam mumbled.

* * *

"Valerie's alive?" Natasha asked.

"No -- yes -- no, _I_ _don't know_. I keep saying I don't know. Last I saw, she was taking Thanos on alone. She -- she's different, Nat. Our little angel's all grown up."

"It _has_ been two years--" Steve began.

"No, not like that. She -- she's so mature now. The things she's seen, learnt. The things she's _done_. We could never. She's changed so much. Valerie might be somewhere deep inside, but Nova's not the little girl we knew. She's gained skills we've never dreamed of. She's fought in ways we could've never taught her." There was a heavy silence when Bruce paused. "And I don't even know if our daughter's still alive," he said softly.

"So, this Thanos guy," Rhodey said, "she took him on alone?"

"We told her to sit tight, but you know Nova. She jumped right in to help. She and I fought Thanos, but then I got knocked down. Last I saw, she gave him an uppercut that threw him off his rhythm."

"So we gotta assume these other guys are coming back, right?" Rhodey asked, "and they can clearly find us."

Bruce nodded. "We need all hands on deck. Where’s Clint?"

"After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families."

"Who’s Scott?" Bruce asked, looking at Natasha.

"Ant-Man," Steve said.

"There’s an Ant-Man _and_ a Spiderman? Okay, look . . . Thanos has the biggest army in the Universe, and he is not gonna stop until he . . . he gets . . . Vision’s stone."

"Well then, we have to protect it," Natasha said.

"No, we have to destroy it," Vision said, "I’ve been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to its own signature, perhaps . . . its molecular integrity could fail."

Wanda stared at Vision as he raised his eyebrows at her. "Yeah, and you, with it. We’re not having this conversation."

"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can’t get it."

"That’s too high a price."

"Only you have the power to pay it. Thanos threatens half the Universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."

"But it should," Steve said, "we don’t trade lives, Vision."

The android walked towards Steve. "Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?"

Bruce cut Steve's reply off. "Because you might have a choice. Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another."

"You’re saying Vision isn’t just the stone?" Wanda asked, hopeful.

"I’m saying that . . . if we take out the stone, there’s still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts."

"Can we do that?" Natasha asked

"Nova could. She's been exposed to two -- no, three -- Stones that I know of. Mind, Space, and Power. She would be able to isolate the Stone. But not me. Not here."

"You better find someone, and somewhere fast," Rhodey said, "Ross isn’t exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back."

"I know somewhere," Steve said, looking around at the group.

* * *

"Peter!" Drax and Mantis yelled as he hurled something at the wall of the Benatar.

Nova blinked. "Oh," she said softly, "you're Peter."

"What?" Peter asked, focusing on Nova. "Of course, I'm Peter! Who the hell else would I be?"

Valerie held out her hands. "Okay, let's not kill each other!" Slowly, she approached Peter. "I think we might be related. Joey, give me a scan."

Peter shuffled away from Nova. "Don't you dare sc--"

"Scan complete. DNA match fifty-five point seven percent. Shared parental DNA."

Peter's jaw dropped. "No!"

"Oh, thank God!" Nova cried.

"Why are you relieved?" Mantis asked.

"For about three or four years, I thought Peter was my dad. Can you imagine? Peter . . . over fifteen hundred years old, not likely. He's got the mental age of a six-year-old."

"Excuse you!" Peter snapped. "Listen, I _know_ I was my mom's only kid, and my dad said all the others died."

"Yeah, well my mom was the Goddess of Death, so maybe he didn't really think that one through."

Peter shook his head. "Nope. Don't believe you. I do not have the capacity to deal with a baby sister right now."

"Fine, deal with me after we get Gamora back. If you don't deal with me, she'll make you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah! I have full faith in my sister-in-law."

"In your _what_?!" Peter cried.

"You heard me," Nova said, folding her arms and spinning away from Peter.

"Don't you turn away from me, you little shit."

Nova smiled. She turned back to Peter. "Look at us, Quill. We've been siblings for about thirty minutes and we're already. . ." Nova trailed off, thinking about the first brother she had lost. "You're not allowed to die."

"Woah, what? Where did that come from?"

Nova hugged herself. "When I was twelve, I met these twins. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. I didn't know them all that long, but Maximoff decided he had two sisters instead of one within hours at most. I didn't expect to come out of Sokovia alive and I thought I deserted Wanda and left her for dead. We sent Maximoff to the rescue ships and we stayed on the city. I never expected _him_ to be the one to die."

"What's Sokovia?" Mantis asked softly.

"It was a pretty little city on Earth. This murder bot wanted to use it to cause global extinction. He raised the city into the sky and it was set to drop back, causing a shockwave of devastation. We blew it up. We couldn't find another way." Nova stared at Peter. "I can't lose another brother -- I can't lose more of my family today. Don't die, okay?"

"Okay," Peter said, forgetting that he did not believe Nova at all. "So long as you don't die either. Thor would kill me."

Nova smiled. "Yeah, he would. Deal?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"Deal."

* * *

"Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something . . . and I end up eating you, I’m sorry."

Tony and Strange turned to the boy suspended upside down from the ceiling of the dead Q-ship. Tony pointed a finger at Peter. "I don’t wanna hear another _single_ pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?"

"I’m trying to say that something is coming."

A grenade rolled into view. Moments before it went off, helmets covered Peter's and Tony's faces, and Strange prepared his shields.

In the doorway, Drax, Mantis and Quill stood.

Drax charged. "Thanos!"

Strange's cloak flew at Drax, wrapping around his head and whipping him around. Quill pinned Tony's metal suit to the wall with a magnetic disc.

Peter scrambled away from Mantis. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Please don’t put your eggs in me!"

Peter webbed Mantis' arms to her body. Quill flew at him from the side, kicking him down.

"Stay down, clown."

Tony fired at Quill as he took off again while Peter extended the spider legs built into his suit and jumped at Quill. Prepared, Quill threw an electric cord around Peter, sending him down once more.

On the side, Drax was still struggling with the cloak.

"Die, blanket of death!" 

Tony finally got free of the magnet.

"Everybody chill the eff out!" Quill yelled, locking Peter in his arm while Tony stood over Drax, aiming his repulsors at the alien. Strange stood ready to subdue Mantis. Quill powered off his helmet. "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?"

"Yeah, I’ll do you one better," Tony said, powering off his own helmet, " _Who’s_  Gamora?"

"I’ll do  _you_  one better!" Drax shouted, "why is Gamora?"

"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I’m gonna French fry this little freak."

 **"** Let’s do it! You shoot my guy, I blast him. Let’s go!" Tony extended a nano-tech gun that would probably rip Drax to pieces.

"Do it, Quill! I can take it."

"No, he can’t take it!" Mantis cried.

"She’s right," Strange said, "you can’t."

"Oh yeah?" Quill asked, "you don’t wanna tell me where she is? That’s fine. I’ll kill _all three of you_ and beat it out of Thanos myself." Quill pressed his blaster against Peter's head. "Starting with _you_."

"Wait, what, Thanos?" Strange said, "all right, let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?"

"What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? 'Jesus'?"

"You’re from Earth?" Tony said.

"I’m not from Earth. I’m from Missouri."

"Yeah, that’s on  _Earth_  dip-shit. What are you hassling us for?"

Peter powered off his helmet. "So, you’re _not_ with Thanos?"

" _With_ Thanos?" Quill asked, looking between Tony and Peter. "No, I’m here to _kill_ Thanos. He took my girl-- wait, who are you?"

"We’re the Avengers, man," Peter said.

"Oh," Quill said, letting go of Peter.

"You’re the ones Thor told us about."

"You know Thor?" Tony asked, letting off Drax and turning to Mantis.

"Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking, needed saving."

Peter looked at Quill like he was insane.

Nova, whose task it had been to get into the ship's log and track where it was meant to go, paused between the beams, looking down at the chaos. She saw her new friends and her brother, and three people she recognised if she peered close enough.

"Oh my God," she whispered to herself, "these idiots."

She meant to make a grand entrance, but all she did was lose her footing and fall unceremoniously on top of Quill. "I leave you alone for half an hour and I come back to find you harassing my family. Gosh, brother, it's like you _want_ me to hurt you."

"Get off me, you asshole," Quill muttered, pushing Nova off.

More focused on making sure she didn't get hurt than how she looked, Nova's armour had been replaced by her Asgardian attire -- although she did take care absent care to not reveal just how terrible she looked -- as she pulled Quill to his feet. Strange recognised Nova at once. Tony, whom she had her back to, was struggling to place her voice.

" _Mi estrella_?"

Nova turned away from Quill. "Peter! _You're_ Spiderman? What the hell?!"

"Oh my -- you're alive!"

"Of course. I'm a bad bitch, you can't kill me."

Nova squeaked in surprise when Peter hugged her tight. She wasn't expecting it. Of the two, Ned was the hugger.

"Oi, get your spider hands off my sister!"

"Now, now, Quill, don't get your knickers in a twist. This is the family I was telling you about -- well, a part of it."

"Excuse me, Valerie," Tony said, "but did you go to space and adopt morons?"

Nova pried herself away from Peter, allowing him to keep hold of her arm.

"Okay, first of all, my name is Nova. I don't care what my birth certificate says -- it's fake. Second, I didn't adopt this moron, he's my baby brother."

" _Half_ -brother," Quill said, "and I'm thirty-five, pipsqueak."

Nova scoffed. "I'm two thousand, suck it."

"Wait, so this is your _actual_ brother?" Tony asked, gesturing to Quill, "as in the _same_ parent?"

Nova nodded. "Yup."

"So, you met your parents, then?" Peter asked.

"No, Quill and Company killed our dad back four years ago. Don't look like that, you guys, Quill says he was a dick."

"Your mom?" Peter asked carefully.

"Oh, I killed her. Well, not directly, but I had a significant hand in it."

Tony stood with his mouth open, Strange watched everything carefully and Peter stared at Nova in shock.

"Why don't you tell them who you are?" Mantis asked, placing her hand on Nova's shoulder.

"Is it gonna explain the fancy dress and the--" Tony broke off, making a ring around his head "--because if not, we don't have time."

Nova's hand went up to the circlet she'd long forgotten about. "Oh, that's right," she murmured to herself.

Nova pushed away from Mantis and Peter and stood before all six. She cleared her throat. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Nova Valerie Sigfrid, daughter of Ego and Hela, half Celestial, half Asgardian, niece of the God of Thunder, Thor, and the God of Mischief, Loki, princess of both Asgard and Sakaar, heir to the throne of Asgard, daughter of the Avengers, part-time Revenger and honourary Guardian of the Galaxy."

With a bright smile at confused faces, Nova curtsied.

"Oh! Also, two-time loser to Thanos, wielder of four separate Infinity Stones, master of mimicry and a general pain in everyone's ass." Nova smiled brightly.

"Master of Mimicry?" Strange repeated, "what is that?"

"I thought you monitored all potential threats to this reality, doctor," Nova teased.

"You are not a threat--" Tony began.

"I could be, though. Daughter of the Goddess of Death, that alone should be enough to put me on the list. But I also spent two years under Loki's care, and Strange knows this. I'm the daughter of a maniacal entity that wanted to terraform multiple planets -- and according to Quill, I'm the only living offspring that can still harness the power of Ego. Besides, I held four different Infinity Stones with my bare hands and some point each. Doesn't that scare you, doctor?"

"No, it comes a kind of comfort to know whose side you're on."

Nova smirked. "You'd never know whose side I'm on."

Peter and Tony exchanged a worried glance.

"Pfft."

All eyes turned to Quill, who had his hand over his mouth and was giving Nova an apologetic look. "I'm sorry!"

"You ruined it!" Nova cried, stomping her foot.

Tony let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Nova throwing a temper tantrum. _There_ was his little girl.

"If it were not for my humanity," Nova threatened, raising a crimson-glowing fist to Quill.

"Princess," Jocasta said, her voice echoing in the ruins of the Q-ship. Peter, Tony, and Strange looked around for the source. "You may want to lay off the magic. You've been casting continuous magic on your appearance since Knowhere and it is of my calculations that you will pass out from exhaustion in a minute or less. I suggested lifting charms and rest. Perhaps Mantis --"

"Okay, where the hell is that coming from?" Tony asked, turning in a circle.

"Uhh, Mr Stark?"

"What?"

Peter pointed to Mantis, who was struggling to hold Nova up. Drax eventually went to help, sweeping Nova off her feet and allowing her to slip into peaceful sleep. But that wasn't what dropped their jaws -- Tony was used to Nova taking to new people instantly. What shocked then all was the sight of Nova without all her magic.

Her emerald dress was filthy with blood and dirt. Whatever they could see of her body seemed to be covered in scratches and bruises. Her hair, which they had all thought was falling in its normal sleek waterfall, was matted and knotted. The circlet, tangled in her hair, was in two pieces.

Tony's heart broke at the sight of his daughter. Just what had she been pushed through since he last saw her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up, the fight for the Time Stone.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll fight him until one of us dies."

"You can drop the illusions," Peter said softly.

"It's habit, now," Nova said with a small shrug.

The two of them were sitting on the ruins of Titan while 'the adults' talked.

"You look really pretty."

Peter flushed the colour of his suit.

Nova smiled. "Your hair's got a lot more . . . _floof_ since I last saw you."

"You look really pretty too," Peter said. He gave her a teasing smile. "Princess."

Nova smiled to herself and looked out at the orange planet before her. "I used to fight anyone who wanted to call me a princess. I used to say that the only princess I am, is my papa's princess. But . . . guess he knew it already then. I am a princess."

"Wait, so you said your mom, Hela, was Thor's _older_ sister?"

Nova nodded.

"Then wouldn't being her daughter have already have made you heir to the throne? How come you're not Queen of Asgard? Since she's, you know, dead."

"It did, and Asgard was waiting for me but . . . I didn't want it. I'm still young, Petey, I still have a life to live. Be a child, have fun, screw shit up, you know? I don't want to be burdened with responsibility. Don't get me wrong, I'll step up if Asgard needs me, but I think she's all set with Thor for the time being."

"You know, I thought you were cool long before you showed me and Ned the Supernova suit. You just get more and more amazing every time you open your mouth."

Nova smiled. Then she looked down at Peter's suit. "Say, how's the Iron Spider suit working out for you?"

"Oh, I love it! The spider legs are so cool! It's awesome! And Karen--"

"I . . . can't take credit for the AI," Nova said, "that's all on Papa Stark. The instant kill, though, that's me."

Peter frowned at her. "Karen keeps trying to activate it."

"It's a safety measure -- she must be sensing distress or danger."

"Or she's just a homicidal bitch," Jocasta said.

"Says the one that melded into a living brain," Karen countered, having connected to Jocasta -- and was therefore in Nova's head as well.

Nova smiled. "Okay, kids, let's not start a virtual war. I'm already in the middle of a physical one."

"So, you can bear the power of the Infinity Stones?"

" _A_ stone," Nova said, holding up her index finger, "just one. I doubt I could survive holding on to more than one. I need to get the Space Stone from Thanos. Once I have that, I can get to Vision and destroy the Mind Stone."

"Won't that kill Vision?"

"Not if I isolate and extract it first. It's been calling out to me. The Maximoff gifts I've mastered, they connect me to the Mind Stone already, but I've used that stone twice and I bonded with it in Vision's care. It's like it speaks to me, asking, begging for help. It can sense the danger. If we're going to stop Thanos, I have to destroy the Stone."

"Why not destroy one we have? Dr Strange has the Time Stone."

Nova thought about it.

"Each of the Stones we've been exposed to have given different readings. The princess does not possess the required strength, power or even expertise to destroy the Time Stone."

"That answers that," Nova said, shrugging.

"I can't believe you and Joey morphed. Ned is gonna love this. Forget that, Ned is gonna be so happy to see you. I mean, I'm thrilled. A lot of people thought you were dead. Flash even started to lay off a bit. He's still Flash, but he took care not to say anything about you. If he did, it was only good things. I think he actually likes you. Maybe you scared him into thinking he would rather be your friend."

Nova smiled. "I want to say I regret staying on Asgard but . . . I really don't."

"It's okay. As long as you're safe. That's all that matters."

Nova stared at Peter until Tony called for them.

"Okay, kids, we have a plan. Love, tell me you have some kind of super-suit under that pretty dress."

Nova shrugged and the dress morphed into her armour.

"Wow," Peter murmured, watching the plates fold over themselves until Nova was wearing her mix of Asgardian and Sakaarian armour. The onyx suit covered her body, her arms bare from the elbow down. Peter noticed a bag tied around her waist, but he was quickly distracted by what looked like an arc reactor on Nova's chest and the deep magenta shield that formed on her arm.

She threw the stunned Tony a smirk. "Magic beats nanotech any day, dad."

"Right . . . love, are you sure you're up for this? You've fought the titan twice already."

None of them had ever seen such a murderous look cross Nova's face before. "I'll fight him until one of us dies."

* * *

Vision lay on a table between Bruce and Shuri, princess of Wakanda. Above his head was a hologram of the Stone that Shuri studied. She was amazed.

"Whoa. The structure is polymorphic."

"Right," Bruce said, "we had to attach each neuron non-sequentially."

"Why didn’t you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?"

Bruce stared for a moment. Vision raised his eyebrows. "Because . . . we didn’t think of it."

Shuri smiled. "I’m sure you did your best."

"Can you do it?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, but there are more than two trillion neurons here. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures." She faced T'Challa. "It will take time, brother."

"How long?" Steve asked.

"As long as you can give me."

"Something’s entered the atmosphere," Okoye said, looking at her kimoyo beads.

Vision stood at the window, overlooking the landing ships. "It’s too late. We need to destroy the stone now."

"Vision, get your ass back on the table," Natasha ordered.

"We will hold them off," T'Challa said.

Steve faced the Scarlet Witch. "Wanda, as soon as the stone’s out of his head . . . you blow it to hell."

She nodded. "I will."

"Evacuate the city," T'Challa said, "engage all defence procedures. And get this man a shield," he finished, pointing to Steve.

Sparks flew over the hologram. Shuri yanked her hands back. "What the hell was that?"

"That," Vision said, "was the Stone calling out."

"For what?" Wanda asked, watching the sparks run both on the hologram and over the stone in Vision's head.

"Not what . . . _who_."

* * *

"Now?" Nova screamed as she dodged a blow from Thanos, "it's trying to talk to me _now_?!"

"It appears that the Stone senses imminent threat," Jocasta said.

"Love, go!"

"I can't without the Space Stone!" Nova yelled, making a run for Thanos. She leapt for him, pulling off what she hoped to be the Space Stone. Distracted by the others attacking him, Thanos failed to notice the missing stone.

Nova rolled to a stop and stood up, opening her palm. It wasn't the blue crystal. "This'll help though," she said, looking at the Power Stone.

After a moment's debate, she took a running start in the opposite direction of Thanos. "Parker!"

"Yeah?"

"Remember the hammer-throw thing Ned mentioned once?"

Peter's web almost missed its target. "What about it?"

Nova formed a helmet over her head. She jumped over the ruins, going higher as she did. "Heads up, Petey-boy!" she cried, leaping off the end.

"Holy shit," Peter muttered, watching Nova fly above him. Peter took a running start and aimed a web at Nova. Using her momentum, Peter swung Nova towards Thanos, throwing himself a little in the opposite direction.

"Hey, _dick-chin_!" Nova yelled, tightening her fist around the Power Stone.

Thanos looked up to her just as her violet fist collided with his head. The impact knocked everyone off their feet. Nova lost the stone as she hurried to trap a dazed Thanos. Strange opened a portal above his head and Mantis dropped onto his shoulders, her hands on either side of the titan's face. He stilled.

"Is he under?" Tony asked as Strange, Peter and Nova held him down.

"Be quick," Mantis cried, "he's very strong.

"Parker, help! Get over here." Peter withdrew his webbing over Thanos and hurried to help Tony with the gauntlet. "She can’t hold him much longer. Let’s go. We gotta open his fingers to get it off!"

"I thought you’d be harder to catch," Quill said, landing in front of Thanos, "for the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh? Where’s Gamora?"

"My . . .  Gamora. . ."

"Oh, bull– _shit_. Where is she?"

"He is in anguish!" Mantis said, shocked.

"Good."

Mantis was nearly crying. "He . . . he . . . he  _mourns!_ "

"What does this  _monster_  have to  _mourn?!_ " Drax asked.

"Gamora," Nebula said softly, understanding where her sister was.

"What?"

"He took her to Vormir," she told Quill, "he came back with the Soul Stone . . . but she didn’t."

"Okay, Quill," Tony said, turning to Quill, "you gotta cool it right now, understand?"

Quill faced Thanos.

"Don’t, don’t, don’t engage,  _we’ve almost got this off!_ "

"Tell me she’s lying," Quill said. When Thanos didn't answer, he yelled. "Asshole! Tell me you didn’t do it!"

"I . . . had . . . to."

Quill was shaking with rage. Hot tears blurred his vision. "No, you didn’t," he said quietly. "No, you didn’t. . ."

"Peter, no!" Nova cried when Quill yelled and slammed the back of his blaster into Thanos' face. "Nebula, stop him!"

Nebula was frozen. Never did she think she might lose her sister.

"Quill!" Drax yelled.

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" Quill roared, repeatedly pounding Thanos in the face.

Tony let go of the gauntlet to pull Quill away. Peter nearly had the gauntlet off.

They were so close -- then Thanos snapped back to reality. He threw Mantis off and yanked the gauntlet from Peter. Seeing her fly -- seemingly unconscious -- Peter took off after Mantis.

Strange and Nova lost their restraints on the titan. The same strategy wouldn't work twice. Thanos wouldn't let Nova close enough to snatch a stone again.

While Peter swung all over, catching people knocked aside by Thanos, Nova backed up against Tony.

"J, remember what we practised with the Leviathans?"

"Of course, princess."

"Now would be a really good time to activate Project Tesseract!" Nova cried, dodging and pulling Tony out of the blast line Thanos threw.

She had been in the presence of the Space Stone long enough. She wouldn't be able to teleport all the way to Earth, but at least she could recreate Peter and Strange's earlier antics. But this time, it would be all her.

Nova jumped through portals, knocking Thanos off with each blow. Eventually, Thanos managed to grab her ankle and fling her down.

She rolled over and stood up again, sliding to a stop next to Tony.

Thanos threw a moon at them.

While Strange took over the lead, Nova and Tony worked their way out of the stones.

Nova blasted Tony's suit, who in turn blasted Thanos.

"Throw another moon at my daughter and me, and I'm gonna lose it."

Nova smiled. Together, all attacked Thanos.

Tony leapt in front of Nova as a nano-tech shield formed to take the blast of the Power Stone. Turning out of the way of the blast, Tony lunged for Thanos. Nova fired up the suit, giving Tony all the power he needed to land what would've been a fatal blow to anyone else.

"All that," Thanos said as he wiped a small cut on his face, "for a drop of blood?"

For the third time, Thanos flung Nova aside, knocking her down. When she next looked up, Thanos had driven a blade through Tony. Through hazy eyes, she saw Strange exchange Tony and Peter for the Time Stone.

"NO!" she screamed, jumping after Thanos.

"Nova!" Peter cried, lunging for her. He missed the portal by seconds and for the second time, Nova was ripped away from him.

* * *

The air stilled. Then the wind picked up. The Avengers and the Wakandans stood still, waiting.

A portal opened.

"Cap," Bruce said, "that's him."

"Eyes up," Steve said, already heading towards the titan, "stay sharp."

No one saw Nova slip through the portal just before it closed. In all the chaos of her parents slowing the titan down, Nova searched for Vision as if she were playing a game of hide and seek with the Mind Stone.

"Wanda," Vision said, taking hold of her hand and placing it against the stone in his forehead, "it's time."

"Wait!" Nova cried, falling through the foliage and tumbling towards the pair.

Wanda pulled Nova to her feet. "You're alive!"

"You came," Vision said softly.

"Of course. Did you really think I would abandon you in your hour of need? Hold still. Wanda, he's coming. I need to hold him off until I isolate and free the stone. Then we trade places because I don't have what it takes to destroy the stone."

While Nova faced Vision and worked her magic, Wanda turned her back on them and prepared herself for Thanos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endgame's opening scenes arrive next chapter. Grab your popcorn and your tissues, this is just like the MCU. Everything was fine until Ragnarok ended.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If we can't save the world, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it."

Even with the power of five Infinity Stones, Thanos was no match for Wanda. "How much longer?" Wanda grunted, straining as hard as she could against the mad titan.

"Seconds," Nova promised, the stone nearly out of Vision's head. "Got it!"

"Throw it!"

Nodding, Nova hurled the Stone as far as she could away from Thanos. While Wanda went after it, Nova braced herself.

Thanos sneered at her. "You just won't die, will you?"

"I won't die until I see you turn to ash," Nova hissed, eyes glistening the colour of the magic surrounding her hands. Loki would've been proud.

Of course, Nove was merely a child. A child who had already lost three times to Thanos. She was weak, tired, and running out of ideas. Running on reserve, all of Nova's power was directed into holding Thanos off. She couldn't spare any for illusions. She stood against the creature four times her size in all her bruised and battered glory, backed up against Wanda. The witches drew strength from each other -- which was all that kept Nova conscious enough.

When the wave of golden light spread across Wakanda, Nova gave up and collapsed.

"It's done," Wanda said, going to Nova. The injured Vision caught up, kneeling at Nova's side, holding her head off the ground. "Did we win?" Nova asked.

Her heart dropped when the wave of energy reversed until the shattered pieces formed the Mind Stone.

"No!" Wanda cried, lurching for the Stone. She missed, landing in the dirt as Thanos completed the Infinity Gauntlet. He cried out in pain as the power of the stones spread from his arm into the rest of his body. Nova wanted nothing more than to snatch at least one of the stones away, but she barely had strength enough to keep her eyes open.

Thor's axe cut through the sky. Thanos raised his arm, using the full force of the Infinity Gauntlet as a shield. Thor's axe cut through it, embedding in Thanos' chest. Briefly, a manic grin crossed Nova's face.

"I told you," Thor said, "you'd die for that."

He pushed the axe further into Thanos' chest and the titan screamed in pain.

"You should've gone for the head."

Nova's protest was a whisper as the world around her flashed white.

"What did you do?" Thor asked, taking in the damaged gauntlet and the scarring on Thanos' arm and the entire side of his face. " _What did you_ _do_?!"

Thanos fell back into a portal, leaving the axe falling to Wakandan soil.

Wanda scrambled to Nova and Vision, trying to pull Nova up. "Let's go."

"Wanda?" Vision asked, sensing something very wrong in the air.

Wanda grabbed his hand. "Help me with Valerie. You're gonna be fine, you're gonna --"

"Wanda!"

Vision watched in horror as Wanda faded before his eyes. He looked down at Nova, waiting for her to fade too, then himself.

Steve Rogers found Vision on the ground, with Nova's head in his lap. Steve wanted to feel relieved and happy at Nova's return, but he just couldn't find it amidst all that was happening. Natasha joined the survivors as Vision lifted his head.

"He got the Stone," he said, "they tried their best . . . they tried their hardest."

"Where's Wanda?" Natasha asked.

Vision shook his head.

" _Shit_."

* * *

"Where _the hell_ do you think you're going, little miss?"

Nova turned a vicious glare on Steve. "Out," she hissed, "and don't call me that. It belongs to Papa Fury."

"You are fifteen years old and you are my daughter. You--"

"Piss of, _Steve_ ," Nova snapped, snatching up a spearhead mounted on a handle the size of her forearm from the corner of the room. Nova jerked the spear and watch it extend to the ground. She pointed the spear at Steve. "Try and stop me."

"Val, this is no time for a teenage rebellion," Steve said calmly, holding out his hands defensively.

" _My name is_ _Nova_. This is no teenage rebellion. You aren't the one that lost to Thanos four times, losing someone with each battle."

"Nova, we all--"

"Don't," Nova said softly.

"Don't what?"

"Don't give me your therapy speeches. 'We all lost people'. Bullshit. Half the universe is gone. Of _fucking_ course, we all lost people! But you know what _really_ stings? I knew my brother less than a day, my _real_ brother, and I stranded him on Titan. I loved him so much. I met Peter for the first time in two years and I left him on Titan without a goodbye. I loved him. Thanos threw the woman that could've become my sister-in-law off a cliff for a little gem. I loved her and I knew her even less than I knew my brother. Thanos strangled my uncle to death in front of my eyes, in front of Thor's eyes. By Hela, I loved him with all my heart. I don't even know who on Titan survived -- if any of them did. I lost more to Thanos than anyone in this goddamn compound. I lost more than _people_. So take your therapy bullshit, and throw it at a support group, because I don't have the time, the patience, the strength, or the heart to care."

Vision, who had just entered, stared unblinking as Nova left in fury. "Let me talk to her, Captain," he said when Steve moved towards the door.

Resigned, Steve nodded.

"Princess!" he called, finding her outside the compound. The spearhead was buried in the grass, Nova just a heap beside it. Slowly, Vision sat down next to her. "They wouldn't want their sister to throw her life away."

"Who?" Nova asked, lifting her head.

"Wanda and Pietro. I know they hold a special place in your heart."

Nove sighed and lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky. "You don't know what they'd want."

"I think I'm the only one that _does_ know what they'd want. Wanda more than Pietro, anyway." There was a pause where Vision studied the stars. He looked to his side at the girl laying on the grass. "You can't just run away."

"Vis, I've been sitting duck for twenty-two days. I could be out there, searching for Dad with Carol, but everyone sees me as a small and weak fifteen-year-old kid."

"I don't. I see you as a strong and capable being that can and most likely _will_ rain vengeance on Thanos. After all, someone who can replicate an Infinity Stone must be some kind of superior --"

"A Stone! The Stones! Vis, you're a genius!"

Nova let out a strangled laugh as she stared at the yellow gem in Vision's forehead. It was by no means the Mind Stone, but at least it gave Vision a beamed weapon -- should he need it -- and it made him look a little like his old self.

"I don't follow, princess."

Of everyone who heard the story, Vision was the first to believe Nova and address her with the proper titles. Nova found it amusing, so she didn't stop him.

"If we can get the Stones back, we can reverse everything. We can bring her back! We can bring Wanda back! Wanda and everyone else that Thanos just snapped away! Vis, you're a genius!" Ecstatic and buzzing with joy she hadn't felt in ages, Nova kissed Vision's forehead. "You're the smartest brother I've ever had! And I've had quite a few!"

Vision smiled. Nova seemed to be the only one that could make him do that lately. "Take a deep breath, princess. We'd need to find Thanos first. Do you think Carol--"

They were cut off by a bright light and an approaching spaceship.

"The Benatar," Nova said, recognising her brother's spaceship at once. She hurriedly stood up and yanked her spear out of the ground before dragging Vision away. "Give her space to land!"

Somehow -- Nova still wasn't sure -- Steve beat her to Tony. She waited patiently for Pepper to reunite with Tony before she shuffled up to him.

"Love," Tony said, amazed, before grabbing her and holding tight. "You're alive."

"Peter?" Nova choked out when only Nebula followed Tony out. Her earlier high seemed to be dwindling.

"I'm sorry, kid. I -- I lost them. Both of them."

Nova buried her face in her father's shoulder. Pepper put her hand on Nova's back and gently took her into her own arms, gesturing for Steve and Carol to help Tony inside. Vision brought Nova's spear in after her.

Nova shut herself up, throwing herself into finding Thanos. When they finally did, she suited up alongside her family. The last to leave the compound, Nova paused in front of the glass doors, staring at her changed reflection.

She still looked like herself at a first glance. Long, silky hair that was as black as the night. Crystal eyes. But she couldn't see Valerie Barton in her reflection. She wore a standard Shield-issue suit that she modified herself. Repulsors on her palms, and an onyx shield strapped to her back, she _was_ the Supernova. It was as Jocasta said. The Supernova wasn't the suit, it was _her_. And she was everyone.

Her reflection shimmered. When it settled, eight-year-old Valerie Barton stared up at her with that innocent smile and bright pink tutu. The young girl's dark hair was tied in two pigtails, and her crystal eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth.

Nova's eyes didn't sparkle anymore.

"You're still you."

Nova turned to Carol. The illusion shimmered and Nova's reflection returned.

"You can't change who you are. You'll always carry forward what you once were, no matter how far you've come from it." Carol shrugged, glancing at her own reflection. Her eyes lingered on the star of her suit. "So you're not as innocent as you once were. You've grown. We've all grown. It's like you said. We all lost things, some of us more than others. This is the Avengers -- the survivors. You'll do what you were always meant to."

"If we can't save the world, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it."

Nova glanced towards the room Tony slept in, recovering from what space had done. Turning a glare of steel on her reflection, Nova nodded. "I'm ready."

Carol held out a hand to Nova. "They say you mimic best after close physical contact."

"I do."

Nova grabbed hold of Carol's hands as the woman began to glow. They shot off after the Benatar, making a beeline for the jump point.

* * *

Carol and Nova blew the wooden roof to pieces as they flew through. Nova knocked the titan down and put him in a headlock while Carol pinned his uninjured arm down.

Bruce, equipped in the Hulkbuster suit, clamped down on the Infinity Gauntlet. Thor's axe, Stormbreaker, arrived before he did, slicing off Thanos' arm. Rocket arrived on Rhodey, aiming a gun to Thanos' head as soon as he got down.

Steve, decked out in his old suit, walked up the steps, Natasha right behind him. Leaving Rhodey to aim a weapon, Rocket walked over to the severed appendage and kicked the gauntlet over.

"Oh no."

Nova fumed when she saw the empty gauntlet.

"Where are they?" Steve asked.

Thanos remained silent. Carol nodded to Nova, who used the woman's strength and tightened her hold around Thanos' neck. "Answer the question!"

"The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation."

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce cried.

"You should be grateful."

"Where are the stones?" Natasha repeated.

"Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago," Nova hissed, leaving Thanos almost gasping for air. It thrilled her to know that he was paying for what he had done to her uncle. She let off a few seconds later, only because she knew they needed him alive to reveal the stones' location.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly . . .  killed me. But the work is done. it always will be. I am inevitable."

"We have to tear this place apart," Rhodey said, "he -- he -- he has to be lying."

"My father is many things," Nebula said, "a liar is not one of them."

"Ah, thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

Nova began to strangle the titan, growling. She wasn't the only one radiating anger. Before anyone could stop him Thor sliced Thanos' head off -- narrowly missing Nova's.

"What . . . what did you do?"

While Rocket questioned the God of Thunder, Nova backed away from Thanos' body and watched it fall to the ground. Her hand felt her own neck as if to make sure she was still alive.

"I went for the head," Thor said, watching the dead body slump. Gripping Stormbreaker, Thor left the hut, walking into the white dawn.

Nova's heart shattered. This had been her last hope. She didn't even have that any longer. She'd never felt such emptiness.

Thor walking out marked the departure of the last of her living blood relatives.

She had failed. Thanos was gone, her family, the stones, and any hope of bringing her lost ones back.

She had failed. ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor child what have I done to her
> 
> Also -- WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END, EVERYONE PANIC


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Princess Nova Valerie Sigfrid, heir to a throne she does not want any longer."

**_five years later_ **

"I am _working_ , little love," Nova said, nocking and firing two arrows before jumping behind a boulder to avoid the blasts.

"But it's your birthday. I'm even helping mommy bake a cake."

Nova's heart clenched at the sound of Morgan Stark's sad voice.

"Little love, you know I -- YEAGH!"

The boulder Nova was leaning on exploded.

"Morgan?! Morgan, are you talking to Nova while she's _working_?!"

A grin crossed Nova's face at the sound of Tony's voice in the background as she leapt over debris until she found another hiding spot. "I'm fine, dad. I've got a handsfree, built-in calling system. Listen, M, are you still there?"

Morgan confirmed her presence as Nova stood up to fire three explosive arrows at the incoming enemy.

"Save a seat at the dinner table for me, little love."

"No way you'll be here in two hours, love," Tony said while Morgan cheered.

"Bet."

"One," Tony said, knowing Nova better than anyone else.

Nova smirked as she pulled the belt of her quiver tight and shouldered her bow. "Tell Vis to start the clock," she said, getting down as if she were preparing for a race.

Nova wrapped up the rogue Chitauri in less than two minutes, even managing to stay a moment to receive thanks from the alien population. Nova sped through installing a communication device, then instructed the people to spread the multiple smaller she left across the globe.

Then she sped home.

* * *

Morgan sat at the window, waiting. Vision sat with her, her permanent babysitter.

"Morgan, dinner time!" Pepper called, glancing at the seat for Nova.

"In a minute," Morgan called, briefly glancing away from the window. "Vis, how much time left?"

Vision paused. "Thirty seconds until the cake is done."

"Come on," Morgan whispered, leaning into the window and watching the darkening sky. Morgan was forbidden from leaving the house when there was a chance Nova would be returning -- largely due to the fact that the last time Nova was in a hurry and speeding towards her landing zone, she had to stall mid-air in five seconds to avoid colliding with Morgan when the child was two, but it might have also been due to Nova crash landing in the backyard last year like a meteor. The crater was still there.

"Ten seconds."

"Morgan," Pepper called. She sighed. "Tony, could you--"

"On it."

Neither they nor Vision expected Nova to make it. She was in a different solar system. The only reason Morgan could call and speak to her big sister now and then was because Jocasta had linked herself to Friday and wouldn't let go -- no matter how far Nova travelled.

"Morgan, sweet-- MOTHER OF MARY!"

Pepper jumped at both the scream and the sound of something hitting the ground with a deafening thud. The entire house lit up briefly as if it were still noon before everything went dark again. Pepper peered out of the kitchen window, almost like she wanted to make sure the sun really was setting.

"Back away, little love, I am _covered_ in alien guts!" she heard Nova yell.

"Ewwww!" Morgan cried, wrinkling her nose and turning away from Nova.

Nova smiled. "I'll be down soon, I promise. Vis, could you--"

"Of course, princess."

"Why do you call Nova a princess?" Morgan asked Vision as he got to work removing the mess Nova made. She asked every time.

The answer never changed. "Well, because she is."

* * *

" _Happy birthday, dear Nova! Happy birthday to you!_ "

Nova smiled at the twenty candles. She closed her eyes.

 _I wish I could have them back_.

She blew her candles out.

"What did you wish for?" Morgan asked.

"I wished for a _huge_ puppy!" Nova told Morgan as she picked her up and tossed her into the air once.

Morgan laughed while Pepper cut the cake. The family sat together and celebrated Nova's birthday for Morgan's sake. There was no gift-giving. Pepper and Tony knew what it was that Nova wanted. They knew they couldn't give it to her. Instead, they sat together and laughed and played a few games.

Every time Nova visited, she was amazed at how much Morgan grew and how far Vision evolved. If she didn't know any better, she would claim he was becoming human. She knew mimicry better than anyone when she saw it, though. Well past Morgan's bedtime, Pepper picked her up and gestured for Vision to follow. Despite the space in the house, the three siblings always slept in the same room whenever Nova visited. The empty bed beside her galaxy-themed one caught Nova's attention when she went up to kiss Morgan and Vision good night, but she brushed it aside without further thought. When she went back downstairs, Nova was left alone in the living room for no more than thirty seconds.

"Thank you," she said when Tony slipped a whiskey glass into her hand. He set the bottle down on the table before sitting on the other end of the couch, facing Nova with his own glass.

"So, how was work?"

Nova shrugged. "Today was good. Beat a rogue Chitauri group off a planet. Installed Carol's comm-tech and left several antennae to spread over the planet. Work's been good, I guess. Between Carol and I, we've tripled the number of links we have with other solar systems since last month. I met someone who knew Quill last week. Pretty pink alien. She was alone. Everyone she knew disintegrated."

Tony shrugged. "It is what it is, love. We just got to live with it."

Both glanced up at where Morgan's bedroom was. Morgan Howard Stark was their saving grace. She was what kept Tony walking up every morning and she was what put a smile on his face. She was what kept Nova fighting to save other planets that didn't have the Avengers and she was the only thing that ever brought Nova back to Earth.

Morgan kept them sane and Morgan kept them living. Both knew they would die a thousand deaths for Morgan in a heartbeat, but they would also fight their hardest to stay alive for her. They wouldn't do to Morgan what had been done to them.

"Find his body?"

Nova shook her head. "He trusted me and I failed him. Loki is out there somewhere, dead. I can bring him back. But I can't find him. Everywhere I go, I search. I have Rocket and Nebula searching, Carol searching. I have a whole damn trashy, portal-strewn planet looking for him."

"You'll find him. You always get what you go after. Spoke to Thor lately?"

"Not since we went after Thanos. I can't go to Asgard without thinking about Loki."

Tony watched in awe as the flame danced between Nova's fingers. "Can't that be used to bring the Stones back to . . . well, to Stones?"

Nova shook her head and watched the little flame. "The Eternal Flame can only revive what has been alive. I tried to recreate the Stones like I did with Vision's mimicked gem. But as hard as I try, I'll never be able to recreate the Infinity Stones. My powers aren't that great."

Dropping the flame back into the bag where she had kept it safe for the last five years, Nova tipped back her glass and reached for the bottle.

"Hey, I said _one_."

"You never specified one what. Could be one glass, one bottle, one shipment. Besides, it's my birthday."

"Fine, tonight's on me. Don't expect this to happen again."

Nova grinned. "You say that every year, dad."

Tony smiled as he stood up. He finished off what was in his glass before leaving the room, ruffling Nova's short hair as he passed the back of the couch. "Don't stay up too late, love."

"Mhm."

Tony was on his way to bed when he remembered something. He stopped on the first step. "Oh, your brother called this morning. He said to let him know if you ended up entering the atmosphere. Give him a call. I'm sure he's still awake. That kid rarely sleeps."

"Will do, dad."

"Night, love."

"Night."

Nova sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking straight from the bottle. "J, leave a sticky note with Friday, please."

"Saying?" Jocasta asked.

"I'm going to pay my brother a visit."

"Of course, princess. Shall I call ahead and inform him of your arrival?"

Nova thought for a moment. "Yeah. Did Vision clean my suit out?"

"Should he have?"

"No, just leave another note with Friday reminding him to keep it away from Morgan -- wherever he left it."

"Of course, princess."

Nova got up and walked to the kitchen. She opened the top cabinet and pulled out a second bottle of whiskey. Leaving a note to Tony apologising for the theft, Nova crept out of the house and into the garage, where her bike was stored while she was off-world. She made sure to walk it a good distance from the house before starting it up.

* * *

"I'm here, I'm drunk, and I'm ready to screw shit up!" Nova announced, kicking the unlocked door open.

Harley Keener was waiting for her with a box in his hand. "Happy birthday, your highness."

Nova smiled and set the half-empty bottle on the counter. "Aww, you didn't have to get me anything, little brother."

"I'm older than you."

"By _one human year_ ," Nova whined, "I'm centuries old. Besides, my birthday, my treat."

"Again with the drinking," Harley said, glancing at the bottle. "Just take it. I spent all year on it."

Nova gave Harley an appreciative smile as she took a flat box from him. She was careful with the wrapping. Harley tossed it in a can once she had pulled it off. Nova squinted at the velvet box. "If this is another necklace, Keener, I'll --"

"Open it," Harley said patiently.

Sighing dramatically, Nova opened the box.

"Oh."

Harley peeped over the back of the box. "I got in touch with Okoye who put me through to Nakia, who gave me a crash course in Vibranium. Then I visited your Uncle Thor in his little New Asgard -- he's in a terrible state, by the way -- and got a crash course in Asgardian jewels. Finally, I visited Dad and bribed him into giving me the broken circlet."

Nova stared at the circlet in the box. It was far more beautiful than the one Loki had gifted her but equally elegant.

"Asgardian silver, plated over Wakandan Vibranium. It's stronger than Captain America's shield, and it's nano-tech, so . . . everchanging to suit your needs."

"Harley, it -- it's . . ."

"Here," Harley said, taking the circlet out and placing it on Nova's head. "Hey, what do you know? The choppy style suits the new crown. Hear ye, hear ye, one and all, make way for the Crown Princess of Asgard, her royal highness, Queen-to-be Nova Valerie Sigfrid!"

Nova's smile was a tearful one as Harley did a ridiculous bow.

"Don't cry, sis," Harley said, wiping her tears, "you'll spoil your coronation look."

Nova shoved him away, smiling. "Don't be an ass, Harley."

"I'm being serious! Asgard could do with a change in leadership! _You_ didn't see Thor." Harley looked horrified.

"Oh, I'm sure he's not that bad."

"You haven't seen him in five years, shut up. Are you staying over tonight?"

Nova shook her head. "I promised Morgan I'd make breakfast with her. Come home?"

"Did you come with your bike?"

Nova nodded. "Yeah."

"We can leave in a few hours. Wanna sit and bawl about your failures while I fawn over your Sakaarian spear?"

"A tradition if I ever saw one."

Harley guided Nova to a table where he was working on something. "You can sit here and cry. I'm gonna sit on the other side and pretend to be a good big brother and listen to all your problems." Harley sat down. "So, what new grief did space bring this month?"

Nova sighed and handed her favourite weapon to Harley. The spearhead came off the gift from Loki that had been damaged during one of her battles. Visiting Sakaar had resulted in a homecoming gift from the Grandmaster -- and a consolation for the loss of Loki. While Harley marvelled the weapon, Nova began recounting her travels.

"I had to take a short cut through Asgard because I lost the jump point so I had to hover there for a moment and look at scattered ruins of one of my homes and remember causing the disaster that killed my mom, so that happened. Also, I met this strange old man while I was battling Leviathans threatening Contraxia."

"The space inn?" Harley clarified.

Nova nodded. "He said he was a Watcher? Anyway, he kept talking about Xandar. I've never been to Xandar. Oh, Nebula and Rocket cashed in a favour and it was so bad, we ended up calling in Carol to help us take down an army of robots. Space has been a real bitch this month. . ."

Nova spent the next four hours talking about her adventures in space. Harley had abandoned the spear within one hour to listen attentively to Nova. Two hours before sunrise, Harley started up Nova's bike and followed the silver streak back home.

* * *

Nova often found herself watching her reflection. Nearly as often, she found herself looking at a younger version of herself, comparing the difference. Nova never had the chance to sit with a mom and learn about makeup when she was younger, but that wasn't going to stop her. If she could mimic talents as difficult as mastering the Space Stone at age nine, she could mimic the art of makeup.

Today, four versions of her stared back.

Nine-year-old Valerie Barton smiled as usual, with her pigtails and pink skirt. Crystal eyes sparkled with mischief, knowing she had hit an Asgardian in the face with a shoe and had saved her dad from being stranded in space.

Loki's thirteen-year-old niece grinned mischievously, her waterfall of dark hair loose and stark against the simple silver circlet, that beautiful emerald dress adorning her body. Her bright eyes twinkled with the knowledge that she and Loki were sitting on thrones that probably belonged to them but they were never given. Her lips quirked upward like she knew she'd be caught out if she smiled, but still could not wipe her grin away.

The fifteen-year-old princess of Sakaar and Asgard stared coldly from the mirror, once-silky hair matted and tangled with two halves of the circlet. The dress had become dull and was torn here and there. The scar on her left arm had never been more hidden against the bright red of new wounds and the deep maroon of healing gashes. Clear eyes showed none of the youth they once had, and Nova found herself shuddering at the murderous and merciless look in her younger self's eyes. Her lips were set in a firm line.

Finally, there was her. Nova glanced at the dresser beside the full-length mirror and at the box on the wooden table. Reached out, she picked up the circlet and gingerly set it down on her head. Staring at past versions of herself, Nova cast an illusion over her simple jeans and shirt. The dress was not the same as before. It was still that regal satin, but it was dark. Faintly, it seemed tinted emerald. Nova watched the circlet morph to suit the dress. Conjuring a single green crystal, Nova held it up to the crown and watched it embed itself around the metal.

Harley was a genius.

Nova watched her new look fall in with the other three. Gone was the waterfall past versions of her sported. With all the running around she had done, Nova's chopped hair stuck out in funny directions, all seeming like a cushion to the circlet. Her clear eyes no longer bore into a person, distinct with that old murderous intent and merciless glare. If she stared hard enough, she could see remnants of her old self, but on the surface, she simply wore a determined look. Determined for what, though, Nova didn't know.

"Princess Nova Valerie Sigfrid," she murmured to herself, "heir to a throne she does not want any longer."

"Is that your real name?"

The three illusions in the mirror shuddered before vanishing as Nova turned to the doorway.

"I don't know what my real name is, little love."

Morgan walked up to Nova and stared at her own reflection. "Then why do you call yourself that?"

"A long time ago, a man named Phil Coulson found me. He took me to Shield, to Nick Fury. I told them my name was Nova because that's all I knew. They gave me the name Valerie Barton. I went by Valerie for seven years. I found out that my father had named me Nova, while my mother wanted to call me Sigfrid. I decided to go by the names that all my parents called me."

"Wasn't your mom an evil lady that wanted to destroy the world?"

"Yeah. But she was my mom. I don't know if I miss her or I miss the idea of her. Still, I miss something."

"I want to be a princess too."

"You're my baby sister, Morgan, of course, you're a princess."

Morgan frowned. "Won't that make Nebula a princess too?"

"I doubt she wants to be a princess, little love. She's more of a warrior."

Morgan mimed punching a bag. "Nebula's the head of the Queen's Guard. Kill the invaders! Protect the Queen! Hiya!"

Nova laughed softly as she conjured a soft landing for Morgan -- who had attempted a spinning kick. "Impressive skills, little love."

"Wait a minute . . . does this mean Harley is a prince?"

Nova smiled at Morgan's wrinkled nose. "What's wrong with Harley being a prince?"

"He's not . . . _prince-y_. He's a mechanic! The best in the world -- after dad. Harley would be . . . head of the armoury. He'd make badass weapons for --"

"Oi! Badass is Neb's word. We're not allowed to say it."

Nova kept her curses to a minimum around Morgan. She knew better than anyone how easy it was to pick up cursing from a young age.

"Wait," Morgan said again, her eyes wide, "is Vision a prince too?!"

"If he wants to be."

"Awesome."

Nova would explain her link to a throne when Morgan was older. Hearing the sound of a car, Nova moved to the window to see three people get out, two of whom she recognised. Morgan watched in awe as Nova's pretty dress seemed to burn golden before it faded away. Picking Morgan up, Nova left the room.

"Let's go see why Papa 'Merica came with Mama Nat today."


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not prepared to lose anything more to Thanos."

"Oh, good," Pepper said when she saw her daughters. "Morgan, go save your father."

Morgan wriggled in Nova's arms until Nova put her down. Once Morgan was gone, Nova turned to Pepper. "Who's the new guy?"

"His name is Scott. He . . . I'm actually not sure what it is he does. He was there when. . ."

"Germany?"

"Yeah."

Nova leaned back until she could see three figures standing on the deck. "What do they want? Mama usually doesn't bring visitors."

Pepper shrugged. "You _are_ an Avenger, Starkling. You can go out there if you want, ask them."

When Nova turned sixteen, she'd spent the night numb and unable to find the strength to mourn. Pepper had sat with her, waiting for her to speak. Duly, Nova slowly started to speak. To anyone listening, it would have seemed that Nova only spoke of the insignificant. She told Pepper how everyone she had lost had called her 'little star'. Pepper had teased Nova, saying she would call her 'Starkling'. It was close enough to an amalgamation of 'star' and 'darling', an endearment Nova wasn't too fond of, but Nova was too much like Tony to be called anything other than Stark Jr. Nova had turned her nose up. Pepper had laughed, promising to almost always call Nova Starkling. 

Nova bit her lip, hesitating. Pepper smiled as Nova turned heel and following Morgan.

"Sup, princess," Harley called as she passed behind him.

"Morning, princess," Vision said.

"Morning, boys. Did you see, we have a new guest."

Vision and Harley ignored their controllers and the screen. "Who?"

"Some dude tagged along with Mama Nat and Papa 'Merica."

" _Some dude_ ," Vision said after looking out, "is named Scott Lang. He's got a suit that can shrink and grow based on Pym technology."

"Wait, like Hank Pym?" Harley asked, "who worked with Dad's dad?"

"That would be the one."

Nova glanced out. "Joey, who's Scott Lang?" Hovering near the stranger, Nova saw a profile sheet. "He's been missing for the last five years, divorced a couple of years before that, has a daughter, lost literally everyone else in the snap. Wow, that's sad."

"Sounds like someone I know," Harley joked.

Nova rolled her eyes. "If it were not for the laws of this land . . . come on, let's go intimidate Lang."

"But we're playing Mariokart!" Harley whined.

"I'm going. Join if you want, brother."

Vision and Harley shared a glance before following Nova out onto the deck.

"I got my second chance right here," Tony was telling them. He glanced back as his three older kids stood at the front door. "Can't roll the dice again. I almost lost my oldest." Nova glanced down, kicking lightly at chipped wood. "Not happening."

"If you don't talk shop," Tony continued, "you can stay for lunch."

Carrying Morgan, Tony walked back into the house. Nova started towards the three. Tony grabbed her elbow. "Whatever you decide, know who's waiting up every night for you," he murmured. He looked to Harley, then Vision. "All _three_ of you."

The three glanced at Morgan and nodded at their father. Giving them a smile, Tony walked back into the house.

Nova led the trio up to Natasha, Steve and Scott. "So, what did it take to bring the Captain out of the compound?"

"Who's this?" Scott asked Steve.

"I could ask you the same," Nova replied smoothly.

"Name's Scott Lang. Antman, I don't know--"

"I was off-world when the Avengers split like some boy-band with testosterone issues." Harley coughed, hiding again behind his fist. "Nova Sigfrid."

"Time travel," Natasha responded to Nova's question.

"Wait, is that even possible?" Harley asked.

"Who's _this_?" Scott asked again, leaning towards Steve.

"Harley Keener. I saw you on the news. That was pretty impressive."

Scott beamed. "Er, thank you."

"We think so," Natasha said, seemingly the only person prepared to answer the three. "Scott's been trapped in the quantum realm for the last five years, but by his clock, it was only five hours. We think we can use the quantum realm to travel back and collect the Stones before they were destroyed."

"Wait, slow down. The _quantum realm_? You mean Hank Pym _succeeded_ in going quantum and _coming back_?"

Steve, Scott and Natasha stared at Harley. "You know quantum physics?" Scott cried.

"I've . . . dabbled. But this is risky. I mean, what are the chances it'll even work? How do you know you can successfully exit the quantum realm at a different time? What's stopping you from getting stranded out of time?"

"That's why we're here," Steve said, glancing at the house.

"Then you've made a wasted trip," Vision said. "We've lost too much to take a risk this big."

"Vis is right," Nova said, nodding. "I can't risk what I have today. What if going back takes Morgan from us? What if it doesn't bring back what we lost? What if we lose more than we did last time. We can't, I'm sorry. I'm not prepared to lose anything more to Thanos."

Scott stared at Harley, his last resort. Pity on his face, the twenty-one year old shook his head. "I go where Dad goes, and if he's staying home, then I'm staying. They're right. I can't risk the only family I have left."

Nova shrugged. "Like Dad said, you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch. Without stable proof that it'll work, I won't do this -- this . . . what are you even calling it? A time heist?"

"That's _exactly_ what we're calling it," Scott said proudly.

"It is a wonderful idea in theory," Vision said, "but the practicality of it holds too much risk. We're sorry, truly."

"Kids!" Pepper's voice was distant. "Food's getting cold!"

Nova glanced back at the house. "See you around, I guess. Nice meeting you, Scotty."

"Yeah . . . nice meeting you too, Nova."

Nova gave Natasha a warm smile before going back inside. Harley and Vision followed.

"We're gonna need a really big brain."

"Bigger than _his_?" Scott asked, gesturing to the house.

Steve glanced at Natasha. "Oh, boy," she mumbled.

"Well?" Tony asked, waiting for the three to turn away from the window.

"We said no," Vision said, "obviously."

"Enough about that. Morgan helped Pepper make stir fry. On top of that, we have leftover cake for dessert."

"Whoo, cake!" Harley yelled, walking towards the table.

* * *

"Okay, I'm pretty sure we agreed on _one_."

"Per day?"

"Fine, you can have _one_ glass tonight. One _glass_ , you got that?"

Nova gave Tony a lazy nod. "I hear ya. What's that you got there?"

Tony glanced at the frame in his hand. "Parker's . . . the photo with his Stark Internship certificate."

Nova held out her hand and Tony passed the frame to her. "Time travel . . . we could, you know. For him." Nova set the frame down on the coffee table. " _You_ could, anyway. I'd just be leeching from your intelligence."

"Hey, you're a smart girl, Nova."

She smiled at Tony. "Smart enough to know what you're up to, anyway."

"I . . . er . . . Hey, I said one glass."

"You never specified _how much_ wine I can pour in."

Tony sighed. On the one hand, his children were absolute delights and heaven to wake up to. On the other hand, Vision was an evolving android, Harley kept building and blowing things up, Nova was just a smidge self-destructive, Morgan was a ringleader at heart, and Tony had no idea how to control them.

"What's happening here?"

Nova turned on the couch to look at Harley as he entered. "Is that my spear?"

"Just studying it, that's all."

Nova narrowed her eyes. Tony cut off whatever response she had planned as he turned his gaze away from the photo frame. "Kid, put that spear down and get over here. Love, go wake your brother up."

"Why?" Harley asked, setting Nova's spear on the dining table.

"We're going to build a time machine."

* * *

The four of them stared at the holographic model Friday rendered. Jaws dropped and eyes wide, none of them knew what to say. Tony fell into the chair behind him. Harley was reaching out to tap Vision's shoulder -- as if the android didn't have a hand in the model. Nova seemed to have become a statue.

"Shit!" Jocasta said, expressing their surprise for them.

"Shit."

All four snapped their head to the bottom of the staircase, where Morgan was sitting with a smile on her face.

"What are you doing up, little love?" Tony and Nova asked.

"Shit," Morgan repeated.

"Shit," Vision said, realising what they'd done to Morgan.

Nova threw the android a glare and mimed slicing his head off.

"No," Harley told Morgan, "we don't say that. Only mom says that word. She coined it, it belongs to her."

More amazing than the discovery of time travel was watching the two most foul-mouthed of his kids reprimand the other two for language.

"Why you all up?" Morgan asked.

"Cause we got some important shit going on, what do you think?" Nova said, gesturing to the hologram.

"We just . . . have a lot to think about," Harley said.

"Was it Juice Pops?"

"Sure was," Tony said, standing up, "that's extortion, by the way. Great minds think alike. All right, kids, grab your Juice Pops and get your tin-can-asses up to bed."

One Juice Pop later, Nova was fairly certain it was only a matter of time before Vision evolved to the point of actual food consumption. He was already at the point of needing sleep.

Tony tucked in each of his kids before moving to switch the light off.

"Bedtime story!" they cried.

Tony stared at Nova and Harley. "You two are in your twenties."

"We're babies," Harley said, pouting and blinking innocently at Tony.

"Once upon a time, four miscreants went to bed. The end."

"That's a horrible story," Morgan said.

"What?" Tony faked surprise, "you guys love that story. Look, your brother is already asleep."

Harley sat up to see that Vision was indeed asleep in his own bed. Nova chuckled.

"Night, babies and Morgan. Love you tons."

"Night, Dad."

"I love you three thousand," Morgan told Tony just before he left.

"Three thousand . . . wow, that's a lot. Go to sleep or I'm selling all your toys. That includes you two babies."

Nova laughed under her duvet. Harley sneezed. Morgan blew her father a kiss as he left the room, flicking the light off and closing the door.

* * *

Steve stared down at the ground. Their last hope -- gone. Time travel was an impossible feat. Steve's silence was disrupted harshly. Looking up and out to the street, he saw a silver streak fly past, neck and neck with a motorcycle. Behind it sped a sleek black car. Above them all, a familiar red android flew.

Nova skidded to a stop, overshooting the compound entrance by far. Steve nearly fell over as she zipped past him. The motorcycle rider ended up doing a 180-degree turn to avoid colliding with Nova. The car drifted into park beside the motorcycle and Vision landed gracefully in front of Steve. "Captain."

Steve nodded to Vision before walking towards the other three. Harley yanked the helmet off and laughed with Nova.

"You owe me, Keener."

"Knock it off my account, Sigfrid, I have more wins that you never paid out."

Tony got out of the car. "Why the long face, Cap? Lemme guess, he turned into a baby."

Steve glanced at Tony and his adoptees. "Among other things, yeah. What are you all doing here?"

"See," Harley said, handing the helmet to Nova, "that's the EPR paradox. Instead of pushing Scott through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Scott."

"It's tricky," Nova cut in, dropping the helmet on the seat of the bike and coming to stand beside Harley.

"Dangerous." Vision added, stepping up on the other side of his brother.

"Somebody shoulda cautioned you against it," Tony said, stepping up to Steve.

"You did," Steve said to Tony.

"Did I? Oh, well it's a good thing I'm here, then. Regardless, I -- _we_ \-- fixed it."

They all held up their left hands to Steve, a device strapped to the back of their palms.

"A fully functioning space-time GPS," Harley said.

"I just want peace," Tony said, holding up the said sign, "turns out, resentment is corrosive and I hate it."

"Me too," Steve said, allowing a small smile after the disaster of time travel that had happened inside the compound.

"Look, we got a chance at getting these Stones but I gotta tell you my priorities: Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I got? I have to, at all costs. And. . ." Tony walked up to Steve, "maybe not die trying will be nice."

"Sounds like a deal," Steve said, holding his hand out. The second Tony grabbed his hand, Nova cheered.

"You hear that, boys? We're taking a trip--"

"-- into time and space!"

"What was that?" Steve asked, amused at the three.

"They've been watching too much TV, ignore them. Oh, almost forgot."

Tony reached into the trunk and pulled something out. Flipping it over, Steve recognised his shield.

"Tony, I --"

"Why? He made it for you. Plus, honestly, I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding."

Tony held the shield out for Steve to fit his arm into.

"Thank you, Tony."

Tony nodded. "Will you keep that a little quiet? Didn't bring one for the whole team." He paused. "We _are_ getting the whole team, yeah?"

"We're working on that right now," Steve said.

"Who's on the team?" Harley asked. He'd been steadily growing more and more excited with each second that passed since Friday rendered the model.

"You'll see," Nova said, grabbing Harley's arm and heading towards the compound entrance. "Come on, Vis, we have to introduce him to whoever's left!"

"She sounds oddly optimistic."

Tony shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "She trusts only her own ideas. She had a hand in the GPS, she trusts it. She's gonna have a hand in the plan, she'll trust it. Don't question her, don't judge her, and most of all, don't give her the parent look. She hates it. She always pulls the centuries-old card whenever I make the face. Oh, and for gosh sake, mind your language."

With a smug grin, Tony walked off after the trio.

Steve sighed. "I should've known you'd bring it up," he said, falling into step beside Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Stark siblings give me life please don't let me take them away from me


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That girl is gonna be the death of me."

"Thor, what _the shit_ happened to you?!"

Nova could practically hear Harley's smug "I told you so" all the way across the compound.

"Princess! Ha! So good to see you again! Have a beer!"

"Er, no thanks."

Tony walked by, dragging something along. "I know I'm old but I can't be deaf already. Did I just hear her majesty, the all-powerful, Princess Nova Valerie Sigfrid _decline_ alcohol?"

"Oh, _hush_ ," Nova snapped, unable to find the words to tell her dad to shut the hell up. She turned back to Thor. "Seriously. What happened?"

"Oh, you know . . . life."

Nova shrugged after a second. "Yeah, that sounds fair. I'll take that beer, actually. We really should sit down together. I think you've been alone long enough."

"I haven't been _alone_."

"Harley said you lock yourself in a filthy house and yell at some Fortnite kid every time he shits on Korg. Don't bullshit me, uncle."

"The little snitch. After I helped him make that for you." Nova had forgotten her circlet, remembering it only as Thor flicked it lightly. "Makes a cute headband."

Nova smiled. "Come on, let's get you comfortable. Shall _I_ tell _you_ a story?"

"About what?"

"I spent two years watching Loki pose as Grandfather. I've seen some comical disasters."

Thor paused before letting Nova take his hand and lead him away from the quantum tunnel the others were building. "Yes, I'd like that."

"I'm going to bring him back, papa. I don't know when. But I will. I promise."

Thor nodded, knowing Nova was a woman who always kept her promises.

* * *

"I'm not ready for this," Scott said. Before he could continue freaking out, Nova spoke.

"I'll do it."

An army of Avengers was suddenly alert, the word 'no' on the tip of everyone's tongue.

"I'm not eight-years-old anymore. I helped build that GPS. Let me do it." She looked around at them. "Please."

* * *

"Okay, angel, I'm going to send you back five years to the Ark, right? You'll have three minutes before we bring you back. We'll have waited only a few seconds. Ready?"

Nova craned her head around, loosening her neck. "Well, no's not an option, so I'm gonna say yes."

Bruce nodded at her. Harley and Vision gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. Scott smiled encouragingly. Everyone else watched with grim expressions.

"Don't do anything dangerous, love," Tony warned, "I know you'll want to."

Nova knew he was talking about Loki.

"All right, going quantum in three, two, --"

Nova blinked and she found herself on a burning city.

Back in the Avengers compound, Bruce wanted to shoot himself. " _Shit_."

"What?" Tony asked, "what happened? What did you do?"

"I entered a wrong digit. I didn't send her back five years _or_ to the Ark."

"Where and when did you send her?" Natasha asked, coming around to see the controls. Everyone crowded around Bruce.

"What happened in 2015?" Harley asked.

"I know those co-ordinates," Vision said.

Worried glances passed between the Avengers.

"Sokovia," Vision told Harley, "and the death of Nova's first brother."

" _Shit_."

* * *

" _Maximoff_?"

Pietro tripped over his own feet. He looked at the woman that was his own height. She looked familiar, but he didn't know anyone with short hair that dark and that wild. He would have remembered it. Her crystal eyes stared at him in shock. There was only one person he could think of that called him by his last name. " _Valerie_?!"

"No, I'm -- well, I _am_ Valerie, but not your Valerie. I'm twenty years old."

Pietro studied Nova in her grey suit. "Yeah, that used to be pink."

"Oh, God, it's really you. You're alive. You--"

"Wait, hold on. I'm not alive eight years from now?"

"You're not alive eight _minutes_ from now. Well, in my timeline anyway. You have to stay safe, keep yourself alive. For me and for Wanda. At least there'll be a version of me that still has you as my troublesome older brother. I'm going to leave in two minutes. Go back to my own time. Promise me you'll stay alive."

Pietro nodded. "You know I'll never get this out of my head right? I'm going to see you again and every time I look at you, I'm going to wonder when you end up looking like this."

"Soon," Nova scoffed.

It all happened in a second or less. Nova looked behind Pietro and saw Clint turn to shield a young boy. Without any thought for the consequences, Nova cast a spell. Pietro watched himself push a car in front of Clint and the boy, taking on the rain of bullets himself. He winced when he saw himself slump to the ground.

"That's how I die, then?"

"That's how you should've died. Papa just saw you die. There's no possible recovery for that. Come with me? Wanda will be okay, she'll have me of this time."

"The Wanda in your time. You are close with her?"

"Yeah. You did that, you know, going and drying for Papa like that."

"How is she?"

"Dead, at the moment, along with fifty percent of all life, but we're working on bringing her and everyone else back. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to have you alive. I know I am."

"When does it happen?"

"Three years from now. There's no stopping it. It's inevitable. But we will reverse it. We --"

The device on the back of her hand began to beep.

"Please, Maximoff. I can't lose my brother a second time. The Wanda of this time will be okay. She'll mourn. She'll have me. She and I will grow together."

Pietro glanced back at Sokovia. "Okay."

Hastily, Nova removed the device from her hand and fastened it around Pietro's. She watched the quantum suit form over him as the device emitted a long, steady beep.

* * *

Everyone rushed to the platform when a figure returned, hunched over. "Nova!" Harley cried. He and Vision rushed over as the helmet snapped back. They both halted abruptly at the short white hair that was revealed. "Who the hell are you?"

"Where's Valerie?! She was right in front of me. She was right there, I --"

"Pietro," Vision said calmly, "what did Nova do?"

"Nova?"

"It's the name she goes by now. It has been so for years."

"I -- she -- she put this thing on my hand and that was it. It beeped and -- and -- and -- what happened to her? Where's my baby sister?!"

Harley looked away to Tony, who stared at Pietro in shock. Slowly, Vision guided Pietro off the platform, everyone's eyes following the pair.

"Well, the time machine worked," Harley said, a pathetic attempt at a joke. No one said anything. That was something Nova would've said.

"Gosh, Keener, you sound _just_ like me."

Nova managed to stay standing long enough to throw a dazzling smile to her very confused family. "Here's a tip, kids," she said, practically falling into Harley's arms when he reached her first, "don't go quantum travelling without a suit. It really throws you off course. I think I visited a dinosaur somewhere along the line."

No one moved for what felt like ages.

"At least we know the time machine works," Nova joked before passing out.

"Does anyone else have a migraine or is that just me?" Pietro asked.

"Nove does that to us," Tony said, relief quickly giving way to a resigned annoyance as Harley carried Nova off to the med bay. Vision helped Pietro behind them, and Bruce followed the four.

"That girl is gonna be the death of me," Natasha murmured.

"Likewise," Tony grumbled, sitting down. He rubbed his chest. "I think I just had a heart attack. God, Morgan would've killed me if I didn't come home with her big sister."

Natasha smiled and laid a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Nova will go home. Don't stress yourself out."

"We have work to do," Steve said, folding his arms.

* * *

"Okay, so the 'how' works," Steve said, glancing at the projections against the glass wall, "now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us has had an encounter with at least one of the six infinity stones."

"Well I'd substitute the word 'encounter' for damn well near been killed by one of the--"

"Or more," Nova cut in from the shock blanket she and Pietro were huddled under.

Tony nodded. "-- _or more_ , of the six infinity stones."

 **"** I haven't," Scott said, "I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about."

"Regardless," Bruce said, "we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history."

" _Our_ history," Nova said, "so, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in."

"Which means we have to pick our targets," Clint said from the doorway.

"Correct," Tony told him.

"Let's start with the Aether," Steve said, "Thor, what do you know?"

Everyone turned to the Asgardian in the corner, slumped in a chair, can of beer in one hand and sunglasses over his eyes.

"Is he asleep?" Nova asked.

"Pretty sure he's dead," Pietro mumbled.

One by one, the stones were explained to the Avengers over the course of the day. Thor spoke of the Reality Stone within the Aether. Rocket spoke of the Power Stone in its orb over dinner. Nebula told them the Soul Stone was located on Vormir. Tony, Natasha and Bruce had -- with their combined genius -- figured out that there were three Stones in New York during 2012.

The two boys accepted Pietro as Nova's brother and within minutes, it was as if they had all grown up together. Harley even talked about introducing Pietro to Morgan when they finished up with this mission of theirs.

Leaving Pietro between Harley and Vision under the blanket, Nova paced the room. On one side were the projections of their targets, on the other sat her family, watching her walk up and and down.

"Okay, so the Power Stone. Rocket knows, it's excruciating to hold on to, so don't touch it. Whatever you do, do not open the orb. You'll probably die."

"You held it, though?" Tony said, "on Titan. During the initial plan. You went for the Space Stone and got the Power Stone."

"Speaking of," Rhodey said, "I hear you called him a dick-chin and punched him in the face with the full power of the Stone?"

Nova paused her pacing and smiled at him. "I did, yeah."

"Bad- _ass_ ," Scott said, nodding, "my daughter would love you."

Vision, Harley and Pietro all wore the same grin. _That's my sister_.

Steve looked horrified -- probably more at the language than at Nova landing heavy blows with an Infinity Stone.

Nova glanced at Tony before continuing her pacing. "That was then. I was at the peak of my power. I harnessed the full strength of a whole ass titan. Holding the Power Stone was a simple enough task."

"That's right," Thor mumbled, "my niece does wonderful mimicry."

"Thank you, uncle," Nova said with a smile at Thor. "Okay, the Reality Stone. It's volatile and erratic -- much like the Aether that hides it. I wouldn't touch it if I were you. It plays tricks on your eyes and you see things that aren't there. If you don't control that Stone, it controls your reality."

"Noted," Rocket said.

"Then the Space Stone. Don't touch the cube with your bare hands. It's safer than the Power Stone, though. If the Tesseract gets out of containment, use something else to hold it. Use each other's clothes if you have to. Don't hold it with your bare hands or you'll find that it'll spit you out in some space shithole."

"Gotcha," Scott said.

"The Time Stone should be the safest to collect, seeing as you want to take the whole Eye of Agamotto. If that fails, just take the Stone. You'll get a few burns but nothing a little magic and ointment can't fix. Papa Hulk, you're going after that one, right? You'll be able to hold the Stone as is without any problems. The Time Stone is the weakest in how dangerous it is to handle. It is pretty damn powerful, but it's one of two that I haven't used."

Bruce nodded at Nova.

"Then we have the Mind Stone. Despite its complex abilities and structure, the Stone is -- as Vision knows -- the simplest to master. All it takes is a clear goal in mind. Think of it as speaking to a malevolent genie. If you tell it to make you a sandwich, it's probably going to turn you into a sandwich. The Mind Stone works like that. Clear goal, no loopholes. Try to keep it in the sceptre. If you run into trouble, the sceptre helps to concentrate the Stone's power."

"I'll make a note of that," Steve assured Nova.

"And finally, the Soul Stone. Very few people know what it can do. I'm not one of them. But I do know that I'm on the team going to Vormir for the Soul Stone."

Nova and Nebula locked gazes. Nebula searched Nova's face, asking a question she didn't dare speak out loud. _Are_ _you sure you want to do this?_

Nova's shrug was subtle. She gave Nebula a look the woman had often worn herself.

 _I have to_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SOUND THE ALARMS**  
>  NOVA IS GOING TO VORMIR  
> NOVA IS GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE VORMIR SCENES
> 
>  


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You belong to the universe."

"What are you doing?"

Nova turned away from the old Supernova helmet. She hadn't worn it in years. "Preparing."

"You're not going to die," Pietro said, "or at least, you don't know that you are. You can't tell everyone you always knew you'd die."

Nova glanced at the helmet Pietro gestured to. "I do know it, Maximoff. I have known for a while. Now and then, I think that I should have left you on Solovia to die when you were supposed to. All I've done is bring you to a world where your twin sister is older than you and your baby sister is dead. Or will be, anyway. You died a hero in Sokovia. Here . . . here, you'll mourn."

Pietro shrugged. "I find that hard to believe. I was speaking with some of your parents. If a murderous titan could not kill you in the four battles you had against him, a little time travel won't."

Nova smiled. "No, but an Infinity Stone might."

"Then don't go. Let me go to Vormir. Wanda has already mourned my death once. Let me die a hero."

"I can't. It has to be me. This way, if I do it right, things can work out well. You go to New York. They'll need you there, I'm sure of it. I won't let anyone die when I can save them. I let Gamora die for a Stone. I won't let another do it."

"Gamora . . . she was dating your brother? The one that was a victim of . . . the _decimation_?"

"A ridiculous term, in my opinion. But yes, that's her."

Pietro nodded. "I do not think she would want you to follow in her footsteps. How will your brother feel when he has returned?"

Nova shrugged.

"And the little one? Mr Stark tells me you are her favourite sibling. You would do that to the little one?"

Nova bit her lip. "You're not making my choice any easier, Maximoff," she whispered.

"I know. I want you to choose differently."

Nova shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry. Play it for them when I'm gone."

Pietro glared at the helmet that Nova laid her fingers on. "Fine. But I won't forgive you."

Nova smiled. "I don't expect you to. I don't expect anyone to. I love you, Maximoff. You will _always_ be my brother. My annoying-ass older brother, my quicksilver streak, my _first_ brother. When we get them back, tell them all that I love them and that I wish it could've been different, but there was no other way."

Clenching his jaw, Pietro nodded stiffly.

* * *

"See you in a minute," Natasha told Steve, smiling excitedly, quite nearly bouncing on her feet.

Much to Harley's amusement, Nova fake gagged.

"Hey. Race you back?"

Before Nova could respond, Vision did. "You're on, Keener."

"You know I have superspeed?" Pietro asked, "I'm winning."

"I'll see you at the finish line, then," Nova said, giving her brothers a warm smile.

Tony smiled at his three -- now four -- children. He was damned lucky. He'd come back for them.

"Goodbye, everyone!" Nova yelled. "I'll remember you all in therapy!"

Everyone found her amusing. It was Nova after all. Pietro hid his face behind his helmet, refusing to let Nova see how hurt he was at her decision. She deserved to make the choice herself. She deserved it. She earned it. He could try to stop her all he liked . . . but she deserved the chance to choose her own fate.

Taking a deep breath, Pietro shrunk down.

* * *

_**New York, 2012** _

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar air in an unfamiliar place. "This is New York?"

Steve shrugged. "She's seen better days. All right, we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone, down. Stay low. Keep an eye on the clock."

Pietro yelped when the Hulk of 2012 barrelled by, smashing something. Bruce looked, in all honesty, embarrassed.

Steve glanced at Bruce. "Feel free to smash a fee things along the way."

Bruve shrugged, ripping his shirt and removing his glasses to appear more similar to his younger self. "I think it's gratuitous, but whatever."

Pietro, Scott, Steve and Tony watched dumbstruck as Bruce lightly hit a car, denying it ever so slightly. "Roar," he said, throwing a bike at a wall and wincing when it broke.

"Oh my God," Pietro whispered, having seen the Hulk in action _up close_ more than once, "did he just say the word roar?"

"Yeah," Steve sighed, sounding about a hundred percent done.

Pietro absently wondered how his brothers were doing.

* * *

_**Asgard, 2013** _

"Hey, isn't that Loki?" Vision asked.

Thor gasped, tempted to press his face against the barrier. Well, actually, he wanted to break Loki out and take him back to 2023, but neither he, nor Vision, nor Rocket were Nova, and they did not have a quantum suit to spare.

"Can't we just break him out and bring him home as a surprise gift to Nova?"

Rocket stared at Vision like he was an idiot.

"Right," Vision said, "we can't."

"Aside from that," Thor said glumly, "I'm going to need him later or Jane dies and the Dark Elves gain the Aether."

"Okay, we don't really have time for a reunion, Thor. We have a stone to steal."

Vision glances between Thor and Loki, the latter of whom unaware of his visitors.

Taking a deep breath, Thor stood up. "Nova will bring my Loki back. She said so herself. She said it as my adoptive daughter, my blood niece, princess and perpetual heir to the throne of Asgard. She promised to bring my brother, her uncle, back. I trust her."

"Great," Rocket said, "let's move."

Vision patted Thor's shoulder and began to push him along. "You forgot princess of Sakaar. That's one of her favourites."

"Right, right," Thor said, nodding to himself as Vision led him away from the cell containing Loki. "And half Celestial. She likes that one too."

"Right. Our sweet Supernova."

"Nova Valerie Sigfrid. I love her so much."

"Yes, she loves you too. Come on, before the raccoon throws a fit."

Back in the cell, Loki frowned. "How can she be my niece _and_ yours?" he asked the retreating figure.

"Maybe Odin stole another child," the illusion laying on the bed murmured.

Loki waved a hand and watched the illusion disappear. "Hm, Nova Valerie Sigfrid. If she's half Asgardian and half Celestial, it might explain how she used the cube and resisted the sceptre. But what the hell is Sakaar?"

Frowning to himself, Loki went for the books Frigga had sent last week. He hoped that she would send new ones that might help him learn about this new heir to the throne. The new heir that apparently thought it was funny to throw shoes in other people's faces.

* * *

_**Morag, 2014** _

"Nova!" Nebula called.

Nova, who was the last of three to get on the Benatar headed for Vormir, stopped. Nebula walked up to the ramp and Nova met her at the bottom. Up in the ship, Natasha and Clint were busy preparing to head to Vormir. Out on the planet, Rhodey was letting Harley fawn over his suit. Again.

"I never said it to Gamora. I'm saying it to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you are doing this. I'm sorry that I'm not. I'm sorry that I couldn't find a way to save you. You have been a sister to me in ways that I can't describe. I -- I love you, and I really wish that there was another way."

Nova smiled. "You're gonna make me cry, you blue meanie."

"You are one of three people to ever make me smile."

"Be a good sister to Morgan, okay?" Nova whispered.

With jerked motions, like she still wasn't used to gentle touches, Nebula wiped Nova's tears. "Go save the universe . . . be a Supernova. I'll tell Morgan stories of the brightest star in the sky. She'll never forget you. I won't let her. I won't let anyone forget you."

Nova hugged her blue sister. "I love you too, Nebula."

Once the Benatar took off, Nebula realised she had tears of her own in her eyes. She forgot all about them when Harley abandoned Rhodey to fawn over Nebula.

"Can I build you some new body parts? That eye of yours doesn't look too comfortable. I'm sure I can come up with something that'll dig a lot less. Nova told me your brain's like a supercomputer. How fast do you process information? Are you technically an AI? How many languages can you speak? You're awesome, by the way. Can I study you? You seem more interesting than Vision, who's kind of a miracle scientific breakthrough, so you can imagine how awesome you are."

Nebula looked at Rhodey while Harley rambled on. "This is my brother and I will protect him with my life."

"Joy. Tony's gonna be _thrilled_."

"Oh! Do you like delete memories when you run out of space? Is that you forgetting things?"

"I love him now and he is my baby brother."

"Aw, I can smell Vision's jealousy all the way across time and space."

"Let's take cover," Nebula said, rolling her eyes. "We aren't the only ones in 2014 looking for the stones."

* * *

**_En route to Vormir, 2014_ **

Nova unclipped the bag from it's spot on her belt while Clint and Natasha sat up front in the ship. She'd seen space enough times to want to be at the window.

_The utility belt? What are you carrying in there?_

Nova smiled at the memory of showing Sam her first suit. Emptying the contents onto Quill's table, Nova studied each item before dropping it back.

She still wasn't sure why she held on to the shrapnel that had left a hole in her arm five years ago. Even by magic, it had only healed up to a faded scar that was lighter than the skin surrounding it.

The little bag containing the last of the Eternal Flame followed the piece of stone. It was her only chance at reviving Loki. She needed to keep it safe.

Nova picked up the sling ring Wong had given her three years ago. She'd been severely injured during a mission with Carol and Tony decided that the safest place for Nova was with a group of magicians who could keep an eye on her as they healed her better than a bunch of hospital doctors. Wong ended up teaching Nova the Mystic Arts in exchange for her staying and allowing herself to heal. Nova slipped it back into the pocket, safely tucked away with her other trinkets.

Nova felt the absence of Steve's compass. She had carried it with her these past eleven years, never leaving it out of arm's reach. Moments before the plan was finalised, Nova had returned it to Steve, saying that she knew the way home. She smiled as she thought about the photo she had tucked behind Peggy's faded one. She hoped Steve would find it. It had taken her ages of rifling through Shield's crashed databases to find it.

"Jocasta," she said softly.

Jocasta knew when to stay in Nova's head. "Yes, princess?"

"What's going to happen to you?"

"I am artificial intelligence. I can be extracted an installed on a different computer. I doubt I'll find a living creature as optimal for merging as I have in you, but there are options. Vision, the evolving AI. Nebula, the living AI. Tony's mainframe. There are places I can go. I am already linked up with Friday. The most likely scenario is that I will enter the mainframe of the Stark household. With me will go all your memories and thoughts. You will probably continue to exist in that way. Morgan will still have some form of her big sister."

Nova nodded to herself. "Upload all our data to the Baby Avenger archive. Save a message for Peter when he returns. Tell him I--"

"We're approaching the jump point, babygirl," Clint said.

"Buckle up, little miss."

"I'll save a draft," Jocasta said.

* * *

 **_New York_ ** _**, 2012** _

"You're on guard duty," Tony told Pietro, "things go south, you speed in and wrap up. If Bruce calls, you go there. You're the only one that can get between the tower and the Sanctum fast enough."

Pietro nodded, deciding to follow mini-Valerie around to see what she was like before he had met her.

A few minutes later, Steve called for Pietro. "We might have a Hulk situation. He's pissed about the stairs. Keep him . . . oh, you gotta be _shitting_ me."

"Captain?" Pietro asked, taping the device in his ear when he recieved no reply. "Steve?"

Pietro wanted to go in search of Steve, but the captain had given him a mission.

He sped through the tower, stalling the Hulk on every floor.

Tony had just grabbed the briefcase when Pietro flew with the door and knocked him down.

"No! More! Stairs!"

Pietro groaned. "So that's what it feels like to get your ass handed to you."

"Cap sounded like he needed help," Tony said, "Scott and I got this."

"Scott and I do _not_ got this," Scott said over radio, "but go off, I guess."

Pietro heard Steve cry out -- but he wasn't sure why he had heard it when Tony and Scott didn't seen to -- so he bolted.

Steve was fighting -- well, he was fighting Steve.

One of them wore the cowl. Pietro decided that the one without the cowl was his Captain America. Looking up, Pietro saw the sceptre balancing precariously on a ledge.

Steve was stuck in a chokehold Pietro didn't see him getting out of anytime soon, so he sprinted up for the sceptre. What was it Nova had said? A clear thought, no loopholes.

When he came back down, Steve had managed to get out. The younger Steve moved to attack, but Pietro touched the point of the sceptre to his chest.

 _Sleep_.

Trying to catch his breath, Steve picked up his compass. "Huh," he said, staring down at himself, "that is America's ass. Let's go, kid."

Pietro glanced back as he followed Steve. America's ass indeed.

* * *

_**Asgard, 2013** _

"THOR!" Rocket screamed, barrelling into the room where Thor was sitting with his mother.

"WE GOT THE STONE!" Vision yelled, following quickly.

"We got some guards on our tail. We gotta move."

Thor quickly faced Frigga. "Ma, I have to tell you something."

She shook her head. "No, you don't. You're here to repair your future, not mine."

"But this is about your future."

Frigga gave her son a smile. "It's none of my business."

"Hi," Vision said, "you must be mom. We gotta go, weather boy."

"I wish we had more time," Thor told Frigga.

"No, this was a gift," she said, "and you're going to be the man you were meant to be."

"I love you, mom."

"I love you. And eat a salad."

"Come on," Rocket said, "we gotta go."

"Goodbye," Frigga whispered, "my son."

"Okay, three, two --"

"Wait!"

Thor held out his hand.

"Wh -- what am I looking at?" Rocket asked.

"It takes a moment," Frigga said.

Understanding crossed Vision's face when Mjolnir flew into Thor's hand. Vision -- though he was sure he did not physically have one -- felt his heart leap in joy at the ecstatic look on Thor's face as he cried out, "I'm still worthy!"

Vision then convinced Thor to leave. The three vanished just as the guards burst in. Frigga played dumb.

Down in the dungeon, Loki broke out of his cell.

* * *

**_Morag, 2014_ **

"So, he's an idiot."

"Basically."

"Don't be so mean, you guys. He's probably --" Harley broke off when he stopped leaning against the boulder and peered over it at Quill, who was singing and dancing along to music they couldn't hear. "An idiot if I ever saw one."

"You must see many," Nebula said, "knowing how vain you can be sometimes."

Rhodey grinned while Harley shot Nebula a glare. "Shut up."

"What are you doing?" Rhodey asked, glancing at the sticks and strings Harley had been playing with for a while.

"Nova taught me how to make a slingshot from scraps one month after I met her."

"There's no elastic," Nebula pointed out.

"Duh. Just get in position."

Harley looked around for a stone, finding one half the size of his fist and setting it in his little slingshot. Then he spun it around a couple times.

"Ohh!" Rhodey said as the stone sailed through the air.

Quill turned to face the boulder, frowning.

"Sorry," Nebula said unapologetically as she knocked him out from behind.

"You two work well together," Rhodey commented, walking up with Harley. "Very little vocal communication happens."

"Yeah, well, when you live under the same roof as Mom, you gotta learn how to talk without talking, or she's gonna shoot your ideas down without a second wasted."

Rhodey beamed and Harley did not call attention to Nebula referring to Pepper as 'mom'.

"What are you looking for?" Harely asked as Nebula searched Quill's pockets.

"The tool of a thief," Nebula said, holding her prize up.

Roughly five minutes later, the trio stood before the orb containing the Power Stone. Harley got to work instantly, thinking of ways he could pull the orb out.

Nebula stuck her hand through the fields, burning off the outer plating of her arm. Harley winced and looked away. Rhodey watched carefully.

"I wasn't always like this," Nebula said softly, passing the orb to Harley.

"Me either," Rhodey said, "but we work with what we got, right?"

"I'll get you a new arm," Harley promised, "Nova and I can build you a better one. A lighter, more natural one. I'll fix you. I'm a mechanic."

It was miniscule, but it was there. Harley had made Nebula smile.

"Sync up," Rhodey said. All three suited up to travel home. "Three, two, one."

Only Harley and Rhodey shrank down.

* * *

**_Vormir, 2014_ **

"I bet the racoon didn't have to climb a mountain," Natasha grumbled.

"Technically," Clint said, "he's not a raccoon, you know."

"Whatever, he eats garbage."

"Quill called him a trash panda once -- so I heard. He seemed offended."

Natasha grinned at Nova. "I like that."

"Welcome."

Clint drew his blade, Natasha readied her gun, Nova charged up a photon blast Carol had taught her to perfect. The hooded figure stared at each one in turn.

"Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith." He lingered on Nova. "The unnamed daughter of . . . the universe."

Nova narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean? You're cursed with knowledge, you must have the answer."

"It means just that," he said, removing his hood, "you are a daughter of no one, you are a daughter of everyone. You have many names, yet you have no name."

"My name is Nova. Valerie. _Sigfrid_ ," she hissed.

"A name you gave yourself. You were never named. You have chosen your parents and your guardians, but none were meant for you. You belong to the universe. Come, what you seek lies before you, as does what you fear."

Nova followed the stonekeeper to the edge of the cliff, so Clint and Natasha followed.

"The stone is down there," Natasha said.

"For two of you. For the third . . . In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."

Natasha and Clint shared a glance, not even considering Nova, who slowly sat down on a stone to think for a moment.

This was her choice.

This was _her_ choice.

This was her _choice_.

Nova sighed. Who was she kidding? She had no choice. It was her or someone she loved. It was a choice she had to make. A choice she would not let anyone else make. This _was_ her choice.

Steeling herself, Nova prepared to jump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELP ME


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm just me, and the Supernova is dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone i'm writing my final exam for the year in an hour please pray for me also guess who can't count

"Whatever it takes," Natasha was saying.

"Whatever it takes," Clint repeated.

"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead."

"Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be."

Nova watched Clint lean his head against Natasha's.

"Whatever it takes," Jocasta echoed in Nova's head. "For what it's worth, I'll miss you, princess."

Nova smirked. "Of course. I'm fabulous. You'll never find another host like me."

"Never. Are you ready?"

Nova glanced at the drop. "No, but is anyone ever?"

"I'm starting to think we're thinking of different people, Natasha."

"You are," Nova said loudly, grabbing her parents' attention.

Both turned sharply to her.

"Babygirl, get _away_ from the edge."

Natasha started towards Nova, only to find that _she couldn't move_. Nova's hands glowed a dangerous mix of scarlet and gold. "Nova," she warned.

"Nova, stop it. Let us loose."

Nova shook her head. "I can't. I won't. I came here for this. Let me do it."

Clint and Natasha shared a glance. "You _knew_ it would come to this and you never said?" Natasha demanded.

"If I had, would you have let me come with you?" Nova asked softly, smiling. "It's like you said. We don't get the stone, billions stay dead. Why should one life stand in the way of billions?"

Natasha thought that sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it when she was worried about Nova flinging herself off a cliff.

"Nova, please."

"I can't lose more people to the Infinity Stones, papa."

"You think _we_ want to lose _you_?"

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Please. All my life I wondered what it was for, who I was supposed to be. I grew up wondering where I came from and who I was. You looked after and loved me. You and everyone else showed me what it means to be a hero. Sometimes the choices are bad or worse. Let me choose bad."

"This is _worse_ , babygirl! Please don't. Nova, I swear, let us loose or --"

"I love you, papa. Mama, I love you."

Natasha had never seen Nova look so scared -- and it broke her heart. They'd raised Nova to be just like them. She shouldn't have expected any different. "I love you too, baby."

"Oh, and mama? Remind Papa 'Merica that he better kiss my grave every day for sending you home alive."

Nova jumped.

Their restraints fell.

"What are you doing?" Jocasta asked halfway down.

Fiddling with her utility belt, Nova narrowed her eyes in determination as the ground came at her faster than Pietro. "Surviving."

Clint and Natasha made it to the edge only to see their daughter on the ground, blood pooling around her head of short black hair, crystal eyes open. But there seemed to be a smile on her lips. Natasha had been in pain before. She knew she had. This wasn't pain. The scream that tore from her lips was agony, grief, heartache. Never in her life had she loved someone so deeply, so truly, so purely. Never had she lost something so pure.

The light that streaked across the sky blinded them both.

* * *

_**The Avengers Compound, 2023** _

The brothers were laughing together about who had returned first. Like a tonne of bricks, it hit Pietro that their sister did not return. He looked to Natasha and Clint.

He had _hoped_ she would come back.

"Clint," Tony said softly. Steve had _never_ heard Tony utter a single syllable with so much laced into it before. "Where's my daughter?"

The boys' laughter died down. "Where's Nova?" Harley asked, the echoes of his previous amusement still with him. Slowly, that too faded.

"Where is my sister?" Vision echoed.

"She traded herself," Rhodey said slowly, as realisation slowly dawned on him. He refused to believe it even as he said the words.

Wildly, Tony searched the faces of each Avenger, landing on Pietro. He studied the boy for a minute. "Did you know?"

"I -- I didn't want--"

"Don't _bullshit_ me, Maximoff! _Did you know_?!"

"Yes."

Tony rounded on Scott. " _This_ is why I didn't want to do your stupid time heist. _Your_ stupid plan --" he yelled at all of them "-- your _grand plan_ got my daughter _killed_!"

"Tony--" Steve started.

"Back off, Rogers. You're just as much to blame as everyone else in this room." Tony paused. "Myself included," he murmured before leaving. Rhodey followed without hesitation when Tony almost fell over as he passed through the doorway.

"You knew," Natasha said, glaring at Pietro. "You knew and you didn't stop her."

Harley and Vision stared at Pietro. "Is that true?" Harley asked in a small voice.

"She made her choice. I couldn't do anything. Had I tried to force her away from Vormir, she would have knocked me out and gone anyway. I chose to give her my support and tell her that I loved her. I didn't want my sister to die hating me for not accepting her decisions."

Natasha finally broke down.

* * *

The brothers sat with Natasha in the compound, in front of the platform.

Out on a pier, five of Nova's first fathers looked out to the water. Bruce sat at the edge, quietly grieving the loss of his darling angel.

"Tony, you have to call Mor--"

"What?" Thor asked, turning to Steve.

"I was just--"

"Just acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, _get it together_."

"We can't get her back," Clint said.

Thor turned to him, confused. "Wha-- what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor laughed humourlessly. "I'm sorry. No offence, but you're a very _earthly_ being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. Something my niece was born of. Don't tell me you haven't seen her in _half_ her prime. You don't know what she's capable of. Her power and skill is yet to be defined. And ' _can't_ ' seems very definitive don't you think?"

Clint turned away from the water to Thor. "Look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?"

"Now that's my point--"

" _It can't_ ," Clint said, "be undone. Or that's at least what the great floating guy had to say." Clint's voice rose. "Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and _you_ go fly and _you_ talk to him."

The quick bout of anger was quickly replaced with fresh tears for his little baby girl. "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamned stone. She bet her life on it."

"Would you all just _shut up_?!" Tony yelled. "Nova was _my_ daughter before she was all of yours. You knew and loved and raised Valerie but _I_ looked after Nova when she was at her _worst_ yet! Nova was my baby, my sweetheart, my first child! I saw her take on the titan _alone_! I saw her take on the full force of _four_ Infinity Stones! I saw her when she was at her strongest and I saw her when you all came back from your fucking _flop_ mission and she was an _echo_ of your daughter! I'm the one who took her home and loved her and fed her and put her to sleep. I'm the one who helped her." Tony sat down, exhausted. His voice cracked. "And _I_ _wasn't there_. I wasn't there when she made that choice. I wasn't there when she sacrificed her life for the rest of the universe. I wasn't there for my daughter when she needed her father. I wasn't there. . ."

"She's not coming back," Bruce said softly. "We have to make it worth it. We have to."

The promise that they would was on the tip of Steve's tongue. Natasha had never cried her daughter's name so loud before.

They frowned. That didn't sound like someone who'd _lost_ another. The rush of wind told them Pietro had arrived. Bruce just managed to stop him from flying straight into the water.

"She's alive," Pietro panted, hanging in the air from the back of his shirt that Bruce had caught. "Nova's alive."

* * *

"Where is she?!" Tony bellowed.

Rhodey held out his hands to Tony. "She's  res--"

"I WANT TO SEE HER!"

"Okay!" Steve said, calming Tony down. "Okay, Rhodes, if you don't mind?"

"Come on, Tones," Rhodey said, holding his arms out for Tony. "Nat's with her. She's just barely alive."

Rhodey glance back at everyone. "If all of you don't mind crowding at the window, you can all come now. Watch for the boys, though, they haven't left."

Quietly, they all followed Rhodey and Tony. When they reached the med bay, Tony rushed in, falling into the seat Natasha quickly vacated. "Oh my God, Nova. You little shit."

They watched Tony fuss over her, pushing her hair back and kissing her hand, crying and thanking the universe for giving him his eldest back.

"He's right, you know."

Natasha, who had just closed the door behind her, turned to Steve. "About what?"

Steve glanced inside. "Nova is his daughter more than she is any of ours. Look at him. I've never seen him like that about anything. The last time he was _half_ as hurt, he found out the truth behind his parents' car crash."

"She's his daughter just as much as Morgan is," Vision said.

"Dad's never loved anyone like he's loved Nova," Harley said, leaning against his android brother, "not even Mom."

"How?" Clint asked. "How did she survive? How do we know that's really Nova?"

"Are you _doubting_ her?" Bruce asked, raising his eyebrows at Clint. "Maybe Thor's right. You've never seen her in half her prime. If anyone could find a loophole, it's her."

Inside, Tony was cursing blue murder. Nova smiled weakly. "Sorry."

"Don't you fucking ' _sorry_ ' me, young lady. How dare you? How dare you do something like that without running it by me first?"

"Oh, come off it, dad. You do self-sacrificial shit all the time. Why is this any different?"

Tony sputtered for a second. "Because you're like twelve!"

"I'm twenty!"

"I don't care, you're my baby girl. You're not allowed to die without asking Pepper first!"

"Yikes," Nova winced, "maybe we can omit this from the story when we tell mom?"

Tony sighed. "How, though? Clint said the Stone required a permanent sacrifice. A soul for a soul. He also said he saw you on the ground."

Nova nodded. "Yeah, I had to. I had two plans. One, fake my death via an illusion. The Stone only asked that he who wishes to have the Stone lost something. It never explicitly stated that a _life_ needed to be lost. Two, die."

"Nova, baby, sweetie pie, my little dumbass genius, what do you think it means to lose your soul?"

Nova rolled her eyes. "Regardless, neither happened. Well, I mean I _did_ have to use an illusion, but only so that Pops and Mommy would believe that I really had fallen to my death, but that wasn't what saved me."

"Then . . . what did?"

"Jocasta, mainly. But also a grappling hook, a now broken utility belt, and a _lot_ of magic."

Tony frowned. "Clint specifically said that the stonekeeper wanted a soul for a soul. You can't tell me faking your death gave them the Stone."

"It didn't," Nova said, shaking her head. "A soul for a soul is correct. You asked me what I thought it means to lose your soul. It doesn't mean you lose your life. It means you lose a part of yourself, a part of who you are, what makes you, you."

"What did you lose?" Tony asked softly.

Nova glanced down at her hands.

"Jocasta?"

"I'm still here," Jocasta said, "she lost something far closer to the essence of the Supernova."

"I lost my-- no, I _gave up_ my powers. Everything that I gained from mimicry over the years . . . gone. I'm just me, now. Little Nova, as I was when I wandered into a Shield facility in New Mexico. I'm just me, and the Supernova is dead."

"Oh, baby, just you is enough," Tony said, lifting her chin. He smiled at her. "We don't love you for your gifts. We love you for you. Just you is all we want. Just you is all we need. Frankly, I'm thankful to have you alive. Do you know what Morgan would do to me if you really had died?"

Nova laughed. "Oh! That reminds me, sorry I'm late. I was trying to enter the data while free falling. I may have missed a digit or two."

Tony got up from the chair and say down on the bed. He pushed her hair out of her eyes. Years ago, he would've tucked it behind her ears. "Baby, the Supernova is you. But you aren't the Supernova. If Vision can live on and still be Vision without the Mind Stone, then you can still be Nova Valerie Sigfrid without your powers. Regardless, I still love you."

"Thanks, dad," Nova said, melting into Tony's hug. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I was prepared to kill myself for that Stone. I know you would've hated that I'd died for it. But you gotta let me do the things I have to."

"You don't have to do anything, Nova. Besides, I won't let you. Die on me one more time and I'll sell you to a nunnery. It's not like you can escape, you lost all your powers."

Nova pulled back and shot him a look. "I gave up my _powers_ , not my _skills_."

"And that's all you need. Get some rest, babygirl, and you can help me with the gauntlet when you wake up."

Nova nodded, sinking back into the pillows and closing her eyes. "I feel so light."

"Yeah, it's the weight of your sins falling off because you were ready to sacrifice yourself for the universe."

Nova cracked an eye open and raised an eyebrow at the retreating figure. "Says the dude who still thought he was a total waste of space after saving millions."

"Go to sleep, kid."

"Love you, dad."

"Love you too."

Nova went to sleep seconds later. Tony avoided everyone, thanking heaven above that he didn't have to tell his youngest that his oldest was dead. He didn't think he'd be able to survive the funeral of any one of his children, let alone tell Morgan that one of them had died bringing half the universe back. He knew what Morgan would say because he knew he would feel the same.

She'd rather have her little family than save the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIKE GUESS WHO SURVIVED VORMIR
> 
> Nova, faking her death to get shit done:  
>   
> Loki, sipping cocktails with his big sister in Hel:  
> 


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not losing anyone else to Thanos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a cameo surprise in this chapter to make up for my sins. I'm sorry in advance.

While Tony worked on the gauntlet in one lab, Nova distracted herself with her old suit in another. Loud music from her younger days blared from the speakers.

"Tacky," Jocasta said as they stared at the suit, "the bulky Iron Man look is outdated. Tony himself has better suits now."

Nova nodded. "Right. He's using nanotech. That's what he upgraded Peter's Iron Spider suit with, right?"

"Right. We could recreate the Supernova in the same way. Keep the galaxy look, it speaks volumes about you."

Nova looked at the Iron Man-esque helmet on the table. "Redesign the headgear. I want something grand. Something that screams Space Royalty. Something . . . me."

"On it, princess."

"Show me the Rescue armour, I want to mimic the body design. Alter the blasters to open palms. I still have all the magic I learnt with Wong. How fast can the suit go?"

"With nanotech, about as fast as Maximoff."

"Perfect."

"But you'll need to redesign and change up the suit so that you don't damage it or, you know, combust."

Nova nodded. "I knew that."

"Sure," Jocasta said, an edge of sarcasm and amusement to her voice.

Three hours later, the Supernova was back.

Tony flicked the radio switch and Nova's music cut seconds before she landed hard on the floor of the lab. "Have you been watching the making of the Iron Man suit videos?"

Nova stood up from her landing position. On her head was the circlet from Harley -- now an ornate silver tiara -- looking like it was fixed to her skull between her wild hair. She smirked. "Maybe."

"You been copying my designs?" Tony asked, studying the holographic images.

" _Incorporating_ is the word I would use."

"Well, since you've got your badass suit over there, you can come witness the undoing. The glove's ready."

"Oh."

Nova snatched up her _very old_ earpiece and followed Tony as her suit retracted into a replica of Tony's arc reactor.

"That's cute, by the way," Tony said with a grin, "makes you look a little like your mom would."

"I know," Nova said, grinning widely as she opened the door.

"Question is," Rocket said as Nova and Tony walked in, "who's going to snap their fricking fingers?"

Tony turned a sharp glare on his four children, silencing even their thoughts.

"I _felt_ the impact of that glare," Jocasta said softly. Vision heard and snorted.

"I'll do it," Thor said.

Everyone moved to stop him, all talking over one another.

"Thor, just wait a moment," Steve said, "we haven't decided who's going to put that on yet."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you just going to sit around and wait for the right opportunity?"

"We should at least discuss it," Scott said.

"Look, us sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty."

Nove stood in front of Thor. He stopped at looked at her. "Move, princess."

"I'm half Celestial and I know _I_ won't survive that. You're not putting the gauntlet on, not when your state is so dangerously close to my own."

Tony glanced at Nova, his heart fracturing the tiniest bit. It always stung when he noticed how broken his children were. How much like him they were.

"Thor," he said gently, "you know it's not about resp--"

"It's . . . stop it! Just let me. . ." His eyes swelled with tears, "just let me do it. Just let me do _something_ good. _Something great_."

"Uncle, please. It's not about the fact that the glove is channelling enough energy to light up a continent."

"I'm telling you, buddy," Tony said, "you're in no condition."

"What do you think is coursing through my veins?" Thor asked softly, leaning down to Tony and Nova.

"Cheeze whiz," Rhodey said.

"Beer," Vision said.

" _Lightning_ ," Thor corrected.

"Yeah, that's not gonna be much help against the Infinity Stones, uncle."

"She's right. It's gotta be me," Bruce said, standing up at walking over to the gauntlet. "You saw what happened to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like . . . it's like I was made for this."

Suited up, the Avengers stood around Bruce as he held the gauntlet. Scott and Rhodey's helmets snapped down. Thor ushered Rocket behind him. Tony and Nova tapped the reactors twice and their own suits formed. As Tony's helmet snapped down, he formed a shield in front of Clint. Nova slipped the sling ring onto her fingers -- just in case -- and created a shield large enough to protect herself, her brothers, and Natasha.

"Ready?" Nova asked as Tony put the compound on lockdown.

"Everyone comes home."

Slowly, Bruce slipped his hand into the gauntlet. Nova winced when he cried out and dropped to his knees. Her fiery magic shield wavered slightly.

Thor rushed to his side, demanding they take the gauntlet off. Bruce waved him down. Straining with all his might, Bruce snapped his fingers.

* * *

Nova felt light. She felt whole. She hadn't felt like that in a very long time. Nova's magic shield glowed brilliantly before fading as she put her hands down.

The Avengers fussed over Bruce, but Nova stood still. The air was different.

As quickly as the light feeling had come, it was replaced with a sinking dread. Bruce opened his mouth to say something. Nova looked up. The same shield of Kamar Taj magic formed a strong dome as the compound was blown to pieces, a rain of missiles coming from the Sanctuary-II.

Nova swore.

"Language," her brothers mocked.

"Anyone dead?" Nova asked.

"Natasha's out," Vision said.

Nova surveyed the damage around their protective dome. "Okay, I have a plan. A shitty plan, but a plan nonetheless. Maximoff, you get her somewhere safe. She wakes up, bring her back. She doesn't, hide her. She'll join when she's awake. Harley, search the damage for my lab. When you get in there, find my old helmet. It'll provide light and directions to an iron suit for you. Do not engage unless you're wearing the suit. Vis, suit up and find Dad. Do what he says. I'm going to get help."

"And if he tells me to step down?"

"Then be a rebellious teen like the rest of us."

"I am the _only_ teen here," Pietro said, picking Natasha up.

Nova opened a portal to a brightly lit city.

"Where are you going?" Vision asked.

"San Francisco, among other places. See you when shit hits the fan."

"Try not to miss the battle, little sis," Harley teased.

"Get ready. Once the portal closes, you no longer have the protection of the dome."

* * *

"Is that everyone?"

"What, you wanted _more_?"

A portal opened above Stephen Strange. He stepped out of the way as Nova came down hard and fast. The impact nearly blew him and Wong over. "Princess," Wong greeted.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Nova said, hand to her ear, "I had to make a few pit stops through space, convince some hobos, revive some dead people. You know, the usual."

"The more the merrier," Strange said as Nova raised her hands and three new portals joined the others.

Their army grew as they were joined by Sakarians, Frost Giants, and the undead. Nova smiled proudly as her mother and uncle stood before their armies, in all their emerald glory. Of course, the Grandmaster showed up in a burst of colour. He had the skills to turn anything into a party.

From the portal which Nova fell through, a man in a slightly filthy jersey fell, landing painfully on his front, nearly hitting his face in the dirt. He groaned and rolled over.

Strange and Wong stared at the man. "I didn't think you meant an _actual_ hobo."

Nova nudged his leg with her foot. "You're embarrassing me in front of the wizards, dude."

"Who are you, exactly?" Strange asked, beginning to question Nova's choices. He'd been wary of her ever since he met her and she'd only grown more confusing between then and Titan. Now, he was concerned about her mental state; bringing a man in a faded jersey into the battle of their lives.

The voice that came from the stranger's body was _not_ human. " _We are Venom_."

"Holy shit!" Strange cried, backing away from the creature that enveloped the man.

"Hey, V, look over there," Nova said, pointing to Thanos and his army, "food!"

"Food!"

"I'm going to faint," Strange announced. Nova looked across the army. Loki and Hela nodded to her.

" _AVENGERS_!" Steve called.

Nova saw her uncle's hammer fly straight into Natasha's hand as she stood between Steve and Bucky.

" _Assemble_ ," she finished, leading the Avengers as she had always done; side by side with Steve Rogers.

Nova saw her father fly above her, Pepper right behind and Rhodey on the other side, Harley bringing up the rear. Firing up her suit, Nova joined them in the air, her iron family surrounding her.

"Shall I make the call?" Jocasta asked.

"Yes."

"Sending signal to Captain Marvel."

"I love how she hates that," Nova said as she decapitated an outrider. Nova knocked her fists together and formed two orange discs. Wong would've had a heart attack to see her using shields to slice at the enemy.

She moved elegantly between her enemies, emerald accents on her suit lighting up as she built up power to fire a beam from her reactor.

Nova swore when one of Thanos' 'children' threw her off and out of the sky.

"Sup, bitch? Last I heard, my sister threw you into a Thresher."

Proxima Midnight hissed and charged at Nova. She waited until Proxima Midnight thought she had won, pinning Nova to the ground and preparing to stab her. The alien brought down her blade, stabbing the ground.

"Surprise," Nova sang, driving a blade of her own through Proxima Midnight from behind.

Loki laughed as he flew past on a Chitauri hovercraft, driving his Sakaarian daggers into outsiders. "Well done, _smár stjarna_!"

"Oh, how I've missed hearing that," Nova sighed, smiling as she watched her uncle thrive on the battlefield.

The next time Nova stopped to watch was when Wanda faced Thanos. Pietro skidded to a stop beside Nova. " _That's_ my sister?"

"That's _our_ sister," Nova said, smiling, "powerful, isn't she? She just gets better with each use she makes of her powers."

Pietro glanced at Nova. "You miss using her powers?"

"It's hers. Look at her own it, the Scarlet Witch. I've never been gladder to lose something."

"Rain fire!"

"Did he--"

"Get down!" Nova yelled, having already once witnessed Pietro riddled with bullet holes. Pietro's sentence was cut off as Nova tackled him to the ground, creating a nano-shield to protect them with.

"Don't stop running and don't run into any blasts."

"Got it."

"I mean it. If you die, I'll travel to Sokovia twelve times and kill you myself."

Pietro grinned. "See you around, sis."

Nova blasted off and came down hard near Peter, knocking down half the outsiders trying to grab the gauntlet. "Jocasta, override. Activate Instant Kill, five seconds!"

Peter yelped when his suit moved of its own accord for the next five seconds. "What the hell?!"

"Autopilot," Nova said, stepping out of her suit. The Supernova took off.

"Peter," she said, hugging him.

"What happened to you, _mi estrella_?" Peter asked, his mask crawling back. "You look pretty."

Nova smiled into Peter's shoulder. "When this over, you gotta visit dad's place. He's got this lovely home by a beautiful lake. He and mom have a little girl. Her name's Morgan. I told her stories about the amazing Spiderman whenever I was home. She already loves you. I'll tell Aunt May to take you there."

"Hey, I know I've only been gone a couple minutes by my own clock, but I missed you too."

"Shut your face, spider-shit."

Peter closed his eyes, melting into Nova's hug. "I thought you died, _mi estrella_ , when you fell through that portal."

Nova laughed. "Just be glad you weren't here about five or six hours ago. I almost did die trading my soul for one of the Stones. God, you'd have been pissed. You should've seen Dad. Harley swore at me for twenty minutes. You'll love Harley. He's in tight competition with Vision and Maximoff for the best brother spot. Oh! Maximoff is alive! You get to meet him after all."

Peter smiled. He meant it. He really had missed Nova's rambling.

"If you two could stop making out for a minute," Harley said, falling like a meteor beside them, "we could use a little help getting the gauntlet to Scott and his newly revived girlfriend."

"Give it to me," Peter said. He glanced at Nova. "You're better at combat than I am."

Nova nodded. She pulled Harley up and passed the gauntlet to Peter. "Stay alive, Spiderman."

"Anything for you, _mi estrella_ ," Peter said, winking at her before swinging away, his mask still reforming.

"So," Harley said, making Nova jump, "that's Peter, huh? Do I need to threaten him? Shall I call Vis?"

"Behave, Keener!" Nova cried, shoving Harley hard. "He's my best friend!"

Harley scoffed. "Same way mom is dad's best friend."

"You're the worst, brother."

Harley shot her a wink, with none of the flirt Peter's had held. "And yet you love me."

"I have no choice. Joe, where's my suit?" The suit made a better landing than any superhero either of them had seen. "Dad adopted you without telling me," she said, stepping into her suit.

"For the record, I love you too," Harley said as she took off, shooting him a grin.

Nova did her best to keep the outriders off Peter's tail, but while he held the gauntlet, they swarmed him -- and her.

"Help!"

Nova just managed to see Steve notice their plight and turn away from the aliens he fought. "Nat!"

Nova's jaw dropped as she watched Natasha hurl the hammer through several outriders.

"Queens!" Steve shouted as the hammer made it's way to the trapped pair, 'Heads up!"

Nova gave Peter a boost and watched Mjolnir pull him from the outriders by the web he shot. Now free of having Peter to protect, Nova fought quite violently, all attack and no defence.

When the Sanctuary-II stopped firing down and aimed upwards, the battlefield paused.

"Friday, what are they firing at?" Tony asked.

"Something just entered the upper atmosphere!"

"Carol!" Nova cried, overjoyed, when a streak of light tore through the ship, wrecking it entirely. Then she remembered Peter. Hurrying over, she eventually found him in a crater. If anyone could get the gauntlet to Scott, it was Carol. She put her finger to her ear. "Danvers, we need an assist over here."

"On my way."

Nova jumped over the crater and fought off the advancing outriders from the back. Carol hit the ground hard. Peter hugged the gauntlet. "Hi, I'm Peter Parker.

Carol smiled. "Hi, Peter Parker. You got something for me?"

Setting up a temporary shield behind her, Nova jumped down to help Peter out of his crater.

"Love the new look, princess. Suits you."

Nova beamed. "Thanks, Captain."

Carol held out a glowing hand to Nova. "Shall we?"

Nova pouted. "Can't. I lost my powers. All I have is what I learnt."

"So? Didn't I _teach_ you to harness energy to create photon blasts?"

Frowning, Nova nodded slowly.

"You were doing that without me, with magic you _learnt_. They don't call you the Infinity Princess for nothing, you know. Come on, focus. You don't need _me_ to use the power of the Tesseract."

Nova took a deep breath. Peter noticed the blue gem glow. Nova knocked her fists together once. Instead of the sparks she was expecting from the sling ring, Nova nearly blasted Carol down.

"Yes!" she cried, jumping and laughing.

Peter handed the gauntlet to Carol. "I don't know how you're gonna get through all of that," he said, looking out at the army separating them from Scott's van, "either of you."

"Don't worry." Nova turned to her right to see Okoye gripping her spear tightly.

"She's got help," Wanda said, levitating on their left.

At the army of women that circled Nova and Carol, Peter sat down to rest. They had it.

Front and centre, leading them as she spun the hammer, was Natasha. On either side walked Nebula and the Gamora from 2014.

"Hot potato over the army?" Carol asked.

Nova nodded and grinned before breaking into a sprint. As their ring of warriors broke off to pave a pathway to Scott, Nova and Carol kept tossing the gauntlet over when too many enemy aliens swarmed them.

One by one, they were held back by the enemy. A group of Chitauri knocked Nova down and kept her busy. Thanos fought Carol for the gauntlet. Nova laughed when Thanos headbutted Carol and nothing happened. The momentary lapse in concentration cost Nova and she got hit in the head. To avoid being impaled, Nova fell into a portal.

She returned to the battlefield a few hundred yards away from Tony making a grab at the gauntlet on Thanos' arm. Thanos knocked him aside.

"I am," he said, raising his hand, "inevitable."

"No!" Nova cried.

But nothing happened aside from the flat metallic clink.

"And I," Tony said as he sat back, nanotech particles forming holders for the stones on the back of his and, "am. . ."

Nova broke into a sprint. For the first time since she had grabbed Pietro's hand in Sokovia, Nova broke the sound barrier. She didn't know what had overcome her, what magic or tech or even the stones she used. All she knew was that she had to get to her dad.

"Iron Man."

He never got to click his fingers. Nova crashed into him. The pair rolled in the dirt as Nova fought for the Stones.

"Drop them _right_ _now_!" Tony yelled when Nova wrenched herself away from him and stood up.

Nova stumbled backwards, shaking her head and clutching the stones to her chest. "Morgan needs her father more than she needs her sister."

"Nova! _Drop the fucking stones_!"

"I'm not losing anyone else to Thanos."

"Nova, I swear --"

"You talk too much," Thanos said, going for Nova.

She avoided every blow, keeping three stones in each hand. Thanos knocked her down, sending the stones flying. Nova leapt for them. When she sat up, her hands were empty.

But Thanos stared at her in a mix of fear and -- no, he couldn't possibly be in awe of her, could he?

Tony stared, hating that he knew she would always be ready to do something like this, but proud of how powerful his daughter truly was.

Nova stood up slowly, looking for the Stones.

She looked down at her hands, more than confused to see the sleeves of a dress she swore she would never wear again. Then she remembered Harley's gift. Surprised, she reached up and felt six stones embedded in her tiara. She looked around at the battlefield. Everything seemed to be covered by a hazy mist.

Thanos stared a second longer at the princess with white-hot eyes before getting ready to charge. "I am inevitable," he said, a warning to her -- or perhaps a reassurance to himself.

"So I've heard," Nova said, tilting her head to the side.

She didn't move as Thanos charged. Seconds before impact, the concealment on Nova's spear dropped and she drove it through the titan.

"But I am a  _queen_." She pulled the spear back as he stood up, still prepared to go on. "I once told you that I wouldn't die until I saw you turn to ash," Nova said, her blazing glare on Thanos.

"I will make you burn in agony, until you crave the mercy of death. You will watch your army fade into nothingness . . . and then you can join your hellish children."

Thanos moved to attack. A force far greater than anyone on the field had ever seen before ripped from the princess who wore a tiara bearing the six Infinity Stones. It rippled over the battlefield, washing over the Avengers like a calming wave and tearing through Thanos' army like a tsunami from hell. Rubble and the remains of the compound and the Sanctuary-II caught fire, burning brilliantly. A second wave erupted from somewhere within Nova, levelling the battlefield, leaving the Avengers unharmed and the only ones still standing.

Words rang in her ears, echoing and overlapping.

_you belong to the universe_

_your most powerful, yet also your most weak_

_you'd have made a fine Valkyrie_

_Nova,_ la estrella más brillante del cielo

_you have the stars in your head, little one_

_go save the_ _universe_ _. . . be a Supernova_

_you'll do great things, my princess_

_what's important is that we make sure they didn't die for_ _nothing_

_a supernova, the brightest the universe will ever see_

_I love you, my darling star_

Nova collapsed.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You just have one more battle."

" _Mi estrella_!"

Peter's pained scream was a distant echo. Nova turned to the man next to her. "Something wrong, _mi estrella_?"

Nova frowned. "I feel like I'm supposed to be somewhere else."

Peter shrugged and looked out into the lush garden. A much older Morgan was playing with a baby boy with red curls. Watching them carefully was Pietro, the boy's uncle. "Maybe you are," Peter said

"But I like it here." Nova turned to the other side of the garden. Ned and Harley were pretending to toss their curly, dark-haired niece between them as she screeched in joy. "This is home."

"This isn't home," Peter said softly, shaking his head. "This is that crimson stone in your crown. Home is back there."

Nova looked behind her. It was dark and terrifying. Things were on fire. People were screaming. Someone shouted her name. Someone else was crying. She could feel someone squeezing her hand.

"I want to stay here," Nova said, turning away and focusing instead on her mother cringing away from her grandson, doing everything she could not to manifest a weapon to ward the child off. Loki kept snorting in amusement, nudging the child closer to Hela.

"It's not real, _mi estrella_."

"It could be."

"But it isn't. You've made so many difficult choices. You shouldn't have had to make them, but you did. You're the bravest hero I know. You're a Supernova. You just have one more battle. One more, and you'll have eternal peace. Go, be a hero. A supernova, the most beautiful thing in the universe."

"I want to stay," Nova said.

"This is not real. You cannot live this lie, prolonging your inevitable death. It's time to go back."

"I don't want to."

Peter kissed her forehead. "You have to. Let go of the Stone, my princess. _Mi estrella_. Nova, _la estrella más brillante del cielo_. You've always been a dying star. Your end has come. Take one last breath and close your eyes. That's all you need to do."

Reluctantly, Nova did as she was told. When she opened her eyes, it was to Peter and her brothers in front of her as she leaned against stones and metal.

"Nova, please."

"You brought me here, you can't leave me!"

"Princess. . ."

Nova took a shaky breath, holding tight to Peter's arm. "Pete. . ."

"I'm here, _mi estrella_. I'm here. You did it. We won. Did you hear? We won. Because of you. I'm so proud of you."

Peter pushed her hair back, tucking a short lock behind her ear. The arc reactor flickered.

"Shh, go to sleep. We're gonna be just fine. You did it."

"Before I go, princess," Jocasta said in Nova's head, "I just wanted to let you know . . . that -- that I-- . . . I love you."

Nova didn't even feel Jocasta's absence. She could barely feel anything. She moved slightly, falling over. Peter caught her, carefully pulling her towards him. She held on tight.

"Petey, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Peter whispered, holding on to his beautiful little star. "You did good, _mi estrella_. You saved the universe. We're so proud of you."

Peter wanted nothing more than for his senses to be the way they were before Spiderman. More painful than watching the light leave Nova's crystal eyes was listening to her pure heart slowly stop beating.

Vision's first tears had not been for his lost love. They were for his sister. Peter wanted to rage, but he remained where he was, holding Nova's still body as if it were fragile. To Harley, nothing mattered anymore. Pietro found himself seeking comfort in his older brother's arms. The brothers did not know how to mourn someone who always seemed to find a way out, someone who always came back. They did not know how to mourn their sister. Peter did not know how to mourn his best friend.

Nobody wanted to believe it. The Avengers still thought that she would rise from apparent death as she had already done so many times.

Loki wished Nova had let him stay dead. He didn't want to live in a world without his beloved niece, his _smár stjarna_.

Hela could not understand the emotions she felt. She did not remember feeling any emotions before this. She knew she saw Nova as just another person. Why then did she feel as if half of her soul had been torn apart and ripped to shreds?

Wanda found herself sprinting alongside Quill and Nebula to the source of the supernova that had flattened the battlefield, desperately praying it wasn't what they thought.

Wanda, who had been Nova's sister since they lost their brother, had now gotten her brother back thanks to the girl dying in Peter's arms.

Quill, who had known his sister hours at best, who had a living relative, had now lost her too. After she had made him promise not to leave her.

Nebula, who had been overjoyed to discover that Nova had survived Vormir, who had been planning on staying with her, Morgan, and their brothers for longer periods of time, had to lose her second sister.

Wanda fell at Pietro's side. Unable to watch any longer, he turned and sought comfort in the woman that was now his older sister.

For the first time since they'd met, Nebula hugged Quill, letting him know she understood the loss of a sister so wonderful. After all, Nebula had already lost Gamora before.

Pepper stumbled, falling out of the air next to Tony. He moved for the first time to bury his head in Pepper's shoulder. Silent tears fell as Pepper took in the state of her eldest, and she ran her hands through Tony's hair, offering the only comfort she could.

Slowly, the Avengers found themselves in a ring around the Stark household, looking at the woman who saved the universe.

The Odinson siblings stood together. Hela offered the comfort of a mother to both Thor and Loki, though she wasn't quite aware of it.

"Peter. . ."

"I'm here," he said softly, "I'm here."

It was Tony who crumpled first, who fell to the ground. It was Tony who knelt before his own child. The young woman he'd help raise, the princess he loved with all his heart, the only one who competed with Morgan for his love, the only one he ever called 'love', his first child. It was Tony who took a knee first. Beside him, Pepper slowly lowered herself down. Nova's brothers copied their parents. The Odinson siblings looked at their princess, their queen, and they knelt too. Slowly, every Avenger knelt down in a silent salute. What more could they give her? Shoulders shook and breaths were ragged. Regrets manifested in choked sobs and wishes for more time hit the dust with each fallen tear.

Peter cried as Nova took her last breath. He would have given anything to bring back his Supernova.

Anyone out there would have done the same.

With that last rise and fall of her chest, Nova Valerie Sigfrid, Crown Princess and the most powerful Avenger, was no more.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Morgan asked softly, walking with quick steps as she held on to Vision's hand. "Why are you crying?"

She didn't know why she lowered her voice. She just knew that she should be quiet. Her brothers had come to fetch her from Happy, and none of them looked pleased to see her again. She thought she had done something, but then after they spoke to Happy, he was looking and acting the same, so maybe it was the white-haired stranger with them.

Before they left, they told her the stranger's name was Pietro, but he wanted her to call him Maximoff. They told her he was the brother Nova sometimes talked about, the one she had lost in Sokovia.

Morgan asked where Nova was. They pretended they hadn't heard the question.

Morgan had never seen so many people at her house before, but she didn't stop to wonder why. She wondered why Nova hadn't come to see her yet.

The house was silent when they entered. Her pattering footsteps echoed harshly.

They'd left Happy on the terrace with Rhodey. Morgan saw her Auntie Nat with Uncle Steve in the kitchen room as she passed, both looking empty and somewhat like sad porcelain dolls. A woman in crimson clothing was there too. Morgan recognised her Uncle Sam from photos Steve had shown her.

Morgan saw her sister Nebula, the blue meanie, sitting with a strange man in a red leather jacket on the steps outside the kitchen. He was crying a little. Her trash panda pet was there, being comforted by a sentient tree. A green woman stood to the side, unsure if it was her place to even be there.

Vision tugged gently and Morgan continued walking.

In the living room, Morgan only saw strangers -- and Uncle Bruce. She didn't even notice Fenris, who whined like an overgrown puppy.

"What happened, Vis? Why is everyone so sad?" Morgan's lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. "Where's Nova?"

No one said anything as Morgan was guided up the stairs, past three kids she didn't recognise. 

Vision stopped outside Nova's room.

Harley picked Morgan up.

"Our sister saved everyone," Pietro told Morgan, "she's a better hero than everyone combined."

Morgan rubbed her small hands over eyes. "But where is she?"

Vision opened the door and nodded for Harley to enter.

Morgan practically jumped out of Harley's arms to go to her father, whose eyes were red and who looked like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. It had only been one day since she had seen on the news that missing people were coming back to life. Morgan looked at her mother, who she knew had also been crying, but Pepper didn't look half as bad as Tony did.

Tony held on tightly to his youngest, running his hands through her hair the way he could never again for his eldest. He kissed the top of Morgan's head, knowing he would soon never do it for Nova.

Pepper stood up, wiping her faintly red eyes and tapped Peter's shoulder. He refused to budge, but with a little force, Pepper lifted him off his chair and guided him out. Nova's hand fell back to the white sheets when it slipped from Peter's grasp. Nova's brothers followed Peter and Pepper out.

"Dad?"

Tony didn't say anything. Morgan turned around and finally noticed her sister. Bruised and sliced, Nova had never looked so peaceful. Even in her sleep, Nova's eyebrows had always scrunched together.

"Nova? Nova, can you hear me? Dad, why -- why won't she answer? Is she asleep? She's just sleeping, right?"

"No," Tony couldn't even make a sound, just managing to mouth the word to Morgan, shaking his head.

"Nova! Nova, wake up!" Morgan climbed up on Pepper's chair and grabbed hold of Nova's arm, shaking her. "Nova! You said you'd come home! You said you'd stay longer when you finished your mission! Nova, wake up! Wake up, wake up, _wake up_! Please! Nova!"

Outside, Loki leaned against the wall beside the door. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against a framed photo of the three sisters. The child screaming for Nova to wake sounded so much like what his soul was doing. He slid to the floor, burying his head against his knees. He wished Nova had never brought him back, only to leave him alone in this universe. He wanted his niece back. He wanted her alive.

* * *

"You can stop cowering like that, I'm not going to kill anyone. Well, anyone _good_. She made me swear a blood oath."

In any other circumstances, Hela would have found it amusing to see _the Hulk_ try to hide behind a man. "Oh, it's not _you_ I'm afraid of."

Hela glanced behind her. "Oh. Right. Go outside. Through that door over there. Don't damage anything."

Whining, Fenris did as was asked, seeking out Brunnhilde. He had already picked up on Nova, and from there, the great wolf sought out people Nova deemed _good_.

Bruce relaxed slightly.

"So," Strange said, "you're telling me that we can't return the Infinity Stones because -- because what? She's on life support anyway."

"She's my daughter, I'm sure I'm qualified to --"

"Yeah, from what I heard and saw," Bruce said, "you're not a very great mom."

"But you can't deny that I _am_ her mother -- whether or not I deserve the title or she wants me, doesn't matter. I want her alive just as much as you do."

"You tried to kill her," Bruce said, "twice."

"Water under the bridge. You think she would have brought me back if she thought I'd try to kill her again?"

"Okay, that's enough," Strange said. He looked at Hela. "Why can't we return the Stones?"

"Humans are so thick," the goddess mumbled, "you can't take the Stones away from her because she's drawing energy from them. In theory, if we let her lie for a while, she could wake up."

"In _theory_ ," Strange repeated, " _could_ . . . Hela, she is on life support that Tony Stark is paying for because he cannot let go of his daughter. You want me to stop the return of the Infinity Stones because there is a sliver of a chance she might wake up? That's--"

"You so much as _touch_ that tiara on my daughter's head and I will feed you to her dog _limb by limb_."

Bruce shuddered. He'd seen Tony angry, upset, hurt, and even mad, but this was a new level. A part of Bruce was sure Tony would follow through on his threats if it came to that.

Hela regarded the mortal on the staircase. Nova held him in high regard, and she could see why now. There probably wasn't a single being in the known and unknown universe that cared more about Nova. "I have a remedy for that arm," she said.

Tony saw her peace offering. "Okay."

Nova had been bringing people together since 2011, and it appeared even her own death would not stop her.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's amusing how you thought utter destruction of my body could stop me from coming back."

"Everyone wants a happy ending. All the fairytales promise them, all the kiddie movies promise them. Even some of the worse ones have a happy ending. Everyone wants it. So maybe we don't get what we wanted, but we have what we need, right?"

In Wakanda, Ramonda watched the celebrations in her country as she stood side by side with her children.

"So maybe, in a way, we do get that happy ending. I want to believe that everything worked out. I want to believe that everywhere, people are happy. They're throwing parties and celebrating. I wouldn't blame them."

Cassie leaned into her father as they watched the fireworks with Hope.

"So here's to hoping that it all works out. That if this is playing, it's because we won. It's because little girls and boys have their parents back. It's because moms and dads have their kids back."

Laura hugged her husband tight as he squished their three children in a hug.

"It's because friends are returned and siblings come home."

Peter and Ned met in the school hallway. Ned took one look at his best friends bloodshot eyes and pulled him into a tight hug. Peter relaxed, closing his eyes and sinking into Ned's hug.

"I hope everything is back to normal, if such a thing even existed. Look how far we've come. Twelve years ago, I was an orphan who washed up on earth just like that. I like to think I made the biggest family out there for myself."

Nova's siblings watched the hologram of their starry-eyed sister as she smiled. Morgan was curled up against Nebula. Vision and Harley sat next to Morgan, Harley with his arm around his younger brother. Pietro sought comfort in his sister on the other end of the couch. Seated on the armrest, her hand over Nebula's shoulder, was Pepper. Happy stood behind Pepper, next to Rhodey and Tony. On the other armrest, May sat, Peter's hand in hers. Quill stood behind Nebula, watching his sister smile that bright smile. Hela, Thor and Loki stood behind the three brothers. Through to the back of the room, the Avengers crowded to get one last look at their darling daughter or sister.

The hologram sat down backwards on a chair, resting her hands on the backrest. "There are two of these. I made one the day before we did that Time Heist. I knew I was going to go for the Soul Stone. Two people knew about it. I knew that if it came to that, I'd die for the Stone. Whatever it took to bring back what everyone lost. Since I survived that ordeal, I decided I better record something a little more heartfelt just in case. But this really isn't my forté. I just don't know how to say goodbye. But . . . it's the hero gig, isn't it? Part of the journey is the end."

Each and every one of them gathered felt her crystal eyes on them, as if she knew exactly who she was looking at. She stood up and bent towards her helmet. "I love you. More than I know how to explain."

The hologram flickered slightly before going out. Harsh static filled the air before Jocasta came to life. The blue oscillogram jumped as she spoke. "Initiate project Nova-gram?"

Everyone remained silent.

"Initiate project Nova-gram," Friday said.

The oscillogram wavered until a new hologram of Nova stood in front of them. The helmet was dead and they didn't know where the hologram was projected from. The hologram yawned and stretched like she had just woken up. "Wow, call _that_ a power nap!"

She smirked at the dreary outfits and sad faces. "What? It's amusing how you thought utter destruction of my body could stop me from coming back. Turns out, melding with an AI has its perks. Smile, kids. I'm not going anywhere."

Morgan's mouth fell open. She looked up at Nebula. "Is it really our sister?"

Nova tilted her head.  "Ask me anything. I have all my memories."

"What was the first thing you said to me?"

"I'm not sure. Was it you're looking a little blue or was it shut your face, smurf?"

Nebula smiled at Morgan. "It's _really_ our sister."

* * *

"Pete, wait! Where are you going? We have a group project--"

"I'll do my part alone, Flash," Peter said, "I have somewhere I need to be now."

"Peter," Ned said, "if you want to see Nova, you can just call her. I've seen the Nova-gram."

Flash nodded. Even he had seen her.

"I'm going to the lake house. I have to be there."

"Pete," MJ said, "it's been two months, nothing's changed. You can afford to spend _one_ day with us. You think Nova would want--"

"We're taking her off today," Peter said, glancing down. "We don't know how the Nova-gram will react. If she'll even stay once she's dead for real."

"Oh."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Betty asked gently.

Peter shook his head. He gave the blonde a watery smile. "I'm an ugly crier, you don't want to see that."

"Oh, Peter," she said, letting go of Ned's hand to give the boy a hug. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm." Peter closed his eyes and accepted the comfort Betty's hug gave him. He found himself wishing he had hugged Nova a little more when she was alive.

Despite what he said, they ended up going to the Stark home with Peter. Nova's room was large enough for most of then to huddle into the back, watching bitterly. Most of the furniture had been removed to make space for her life support anyway. Peter's friends stood near Happy while Peter went up to Nova's brothers and Tony. Pepper was holding Morgan. Quill stood taller than Nova's other brothers, one hand on Vision's shoulder, one on Harley's. Wanda and Pietro stood together, holding on to each other.

The blue-tinted hologram stood at the head of the bed, looking down at her body.

"Ready?" Strange asked Tony quietly.

Very reluctantly, Tony nodded, consoling himself with the fact that he still had the Nova-gram.

"Wait!"

They turned to Peter.

"I want to do it," he said, glancing at the  Nova-gram. She smiled at him.

Tony nodded to Peter. "Okay."

Morgan wriggled in her mother's arms. "I want to be with Peter."

Everyone watched as Peter guided Morgan's hand to the ventilator. The room was suddenly silent.

Nova-gram flickered a few times. She frowned at herself, then at her hands. "Pet--"

The hologram froze. She flickered twice before disappearing.

Steve's own words echoed in his head. _Earth just lost her best_ _defender_. He'd been talking about Tony then.

Their silent grief was abruptly shattered by sputtered coughing.

"Turn it BACK OOONNNN!" Quill yelled.

Scrambling, Peter jammed the mask back on Nova's face as Morgan flicked the switch. While Nova slowly stilled, breathing hard, Peter pulled the elastic back over her head.

Eyes still closed, Nova frowned. "Did you fuckers just try to kill me?"

"That's it," Rocket said, walking out. "She's not gonna stop doing that. I demand my adoption papers be shredded."

"I am Groot," Groot said, nodding in agreement.

"Is that a smile?" Loki asked his sister.

"Shut up."

"Okay, everyone out," Strange said, herding them like sheep. "If Nova's feeling fine, you can come back in smaller groups."

Those that stayed were Pepper, Tony, and Nova's odd array of siblings.

"You _bitch_ ," Nebula said.

"How?" Tony demanded. "What? Why? Wh-- DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE OF A HEART ATTACK?!"

Nova smiled behind the mask.

"Hold on," Strange said, "she'll find it hard to speak with the mask." He glanced at Nova. "How long can you go before you start suffocating?"

Nova shrugged. How was _she_ supposed to know?

"Parker, help me."

With Peter's help, Strange quickly replaced the oxygen mask with a nasal cannula. "Better?"

"Much," Nova said, sitting up. Harley picked up her pillows.

Strange patted Tony's shoulder. "Yell if something happens," he said before leaving.

"It's like you want to give us heart problems," Vision said, "which, given that mine is synthetic, is pretty difficult."

Nova smiled. "I'm sorry."

"This makes twice," Tony told her. "One more and I'll take away your Avengers membership. You hear me, love?"

Morgan climbed on the bed. "How come you're still alive? Everyone said you died."

"I did," Nova said, "or I thought I did. Project Nova-gram was to be implemented after my death. I assume Jocasta read my vitals and upon discovering that I was still alive, she cancelled Project Nova-gram."

"Damn right, I did," Jocasta said, "when you find the right host, you latch on with all your tentacles."

"That sounds gross," Pietro said.

"As for the real how, I'm not sure. I was a hundred percent certain the Stones would kill me. Even Jocasta said there was a zero point zero-one percent chance I'd survive."

"Your mother said the Stones were keeping you alive," Harley said, "that's why we kept you on life support and we haven't sent the Stones back for so long."

"Oh," Nova said softly, looking down at her hands.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"She's right. When we return the Stones, there goes my life support."

"We can't keep the Stones forever," Vision said, "can we?"

Nova shook her head. "No. I have to return the Stones. Well, isn't this just dandy? Don't worry, Jocasta will reinstate Project Nova-gram."

"You gotta be _shitting_ me," Morgan said.

No one scolded her for her language -- not when they all had the same thought.

* * *

"What the hell?" Steve asked.

"No," Natasha said.

Bruce shook his head. "Not an option."

Clint folded his arms. "Shut up."

"I'd rather eat a Bildschneip."

Nova wrinkled her nose. "Ew, that's disgusting, uncle," she muttered.

"I'd literally rather die," Rhodey said, looking about two hundred percent _done_ with Nova.

"I don't know about the rest of you guys," Sam said, glancing around, "but I'd prefer being dusted by Thanos again."

Nova folded her arms, wary of her oxygen pipe. She leaned against the doorway, covering up the tank she was dragging around. "You're all being ridiculous. We don't have time to sit around discussing--"

"This is not a _discussion_ , little miss, this is us telling you to shut the hell up and go back to bed."

Nova jumped and turned to look behind her. She turned a glare on whoever her eyes fell on first when she turned back. "Which one of you shits called Papa?"

"I did," Carol said, following behind Maria.

"Carol!"

"What? I like you, with or without photon blasts."

"This is blatant betrayal!"

Carol shrugged.

Maria revealed a set of handcuffs. "Don't make us cuff you to your bed."

"This is insane! You can't keep the Stones here! They have to go back!"

"Indeed," Loki said, "and we will take care of that when you die of old age."

"I'm the _youngest_ person in this room! You're all going to die before me!"

"That -- that's not -- you --" Hela lifted her hand like a student trying to ask a question. "I'm the _only_ one here older than you."

"Oh, shut up, you're not helping. Midgardians die quicker than Asgardians anyway. If I keep the Stones, I'll outlive you all."

Hela wildly gestured to her brothers. "You're a thousand years _older_ than them!"

Nova rolled her eyes.

Loki wrinkled his nose. "Is this how Zinnia felt when she found out she had a nephew twice her age?"

Thor shrugged. "I assume so. On another note, since when do you speak to Midgardians, let alone keep in contact with and or think about them?"

"Excuse me," Nova said politely, "do you mind? I'm trying to do what was actually supposed to be done two and a half months ago."

"If we had returned the Stones two and a half months ago, you'd be dead."

Nova directed a frustrated groan at Bucky. "What part of 'we _have_ to return the Stones' is hard to grasp for you people?"

"This is out of the question," Steve said, folding his arms.

Nova narrowed her eyes. "Do you see this?" she asked, pointing at the oxygen tank on a little trolley she dragged behind her. "I'll need this indefinitely. Stones aside, I'm perpetually on life support. I --"

"Yeah, but you're alive," Brunnhilde spoke up, "you're not brain dead, your body's not decomposing rapidly, you're not in any serious pain, what's the problem? A little tank of air doesn't mean you need to die. If that's all you need to keep you going, why throw it away?"

"You don't know that returning the Stones is going to kill me for sure," Nova said, looking around the room. "You just know that they're helping keep me up and about -- with an oxygen supply. How do you know I won't survive letting go of the Stones?"

"Because I told them," Hela said, "your chemical makeup is nearly identical to an average Asgardian, which means what's true of us is most likely true of you. What's killing you is the only thing keeping you alive."

"So, what I'm hearing is that I'm dying anyway. Great, so might as well teach myself how to juggle broadswords over a shark tank while unicycling on a tightrope."

"Remind you of someone?" Rhodey muttered to Tony. "Oh, it's just a little palladium poisoning, let me throw a party and almost kill myself."

"Shut up."

"Angel, think rationa--"

"I'm pretty sure I'm the _only_ one thinking rationally, papa. Come on, I already spoke to the boys and Morgan. They understand. Mom hates it but she understands. Besides, only my physical form will die -- _if_ losing the Stones kills me. Project Nova-gram will restart seconds after my body goes, no matter when that happens. It's not like I'm going forever."

"A hologram isn't you," Natasha said, "you've never seen yourself the way we do. We saw you when you were a little girl who needed help communicating what you wanted. We saw you when you were throwing fits about homework half an hour after beheading enemy soldiers. We saw you break down now and then about Peter, Gamora, Laura, Quill, Wanda . . . we saw you when you levelled a whole battlefield. We saw you as the most powerful person out there. It's kinda hard to wrap our heads around _you_ dying."

"I've always been dying," Nova said quietly, "from the moment I called myself a Supernova. You know what a supernova is, right? It's a dying star. A supernova is the last stages of a star's life, when it explodes and can light up entire galaxies. A burst of colour, hotter than the sun, more dangerous than any known explosions. It's beautiful, but it's the end."

"The death of a star means the birth of a new one," Bruce said, "all this means is that you need to start a new life. That tank might stop you from flying all over the place, but it keeps you alive. It keeps you here with us."

"Let me return the Stones. Please. If removing them kills me, then you won't have to see it happen. If it doesn't, everything's fine. Besides, there's been a few things on my mind since I helped discover time travel."

Glances were traded around the room.

"If you don't let me return them and have a small chance of survival, I'll blow up the tank and bury the Stones with my last breath."

Hela chuckled, breaking the silence. "Manipulative. That's really clever. I wish you hadn't thought of that."

Loki sighed. "All right, _smár stjarna_ , I'm with you."

"I hate all of you," Tony said. "I mean it. None of you are invited to the funeral."

"Oh, come on, it's only an eighty percent chance."

"Nintey-six percent chance," Jocasta corrected.

"Oh, jump on the bandwagon, why don't you? If none of you pull up, my brothers and sisters will help me. Come on, I've died before. It won't be that bad."

"Lord, give me strength. _Please_."


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I brought souvenirs."

"I'm not even gonna try," Nova said, wearily eyeing the hammer on the platform.

"Nat, go with her," Steve said, "make sure she comes back."

"Dead or alive, am I right?"

"That's really not funny," Bruce said, ignoring Nova's finger guns and exaggerated wink as he went behind the controls of their small time machine.

"Oh, come on. I thought it was!"

"You thought projecting the Nova-gram from my suit in the middle of the night to call me a wuss was funny," Peter said, deadpan.

Nova's siblings stood around, waiting to see if she would return from her trip through time and space. She looked over their heads to Quill, who was standing a little away with Gamora of 2014. They claimed that Gamora hadn't left because they wanted Nova to help rebuild the time machine. Nova smiled and didn't remind them that she retained all the Nova-gram's memories. "Hey, Fiona! Time to go."

Quill caught Gamora's wrist. "Stay. I already lost you once. Your Nebula is dead. Our Nebula --"

" _Your_ Nebula is alive, and I'm not her sister. I'm not your Gamora. I don't belong here. I can promise you this, though, I'll keep an eye out for the Peter Quill in my time. I'm sure he's got a lot of charm to spare."

Quill's expression wasn't a very nice one. "Oh no, _he_ deserves to be beaten up by you."

Gamora smiled. "Goodbye, Quill."

Pouting like a child whose favourite blanket had been stolen, Quill watched Nova place a device behind Gamora's ear, allowing her own quantum suit to cover her body. Natasha picked up Mjolnir and nodded to Nova. Bruce counted down from three.

Natasha returned first, stumbling off the platform. "She left me in New York with the Time Stone! She took the rest of the particles and went back to Vormir alone to return the last one! I couldn't even follow--"

Someone came through next, falling off the platform. Harley cried Nova's name as Quill -- the closest of the lot -- dove to stop her from hitting the ground. The quantum suit retreated. " _Gamora_?!"

"Wait, what?" Natasha asked.

Nebula pulled the shaking woman off Quill. "Gamora? _My_ Gamora? What happened?"

"You're okay. You were disassembled. Thanos said --"

"You died on Vormir five years ago," Nebula blurted, holding tightly to her sister's arms.

"You look different. Your eyes look brighter."

"How did you get off Vormir?"

"I don't know. I was falling. I fell through a portal. I don't--"

"Nova," Quill said, standing up.

"The _princess_?" Gamora asked, "I didn't see her. What happened?"

"A lot," Nebula said, "we'll tell you about her. She was amazing. She saved the universe."

Quill stared at the platform. "Where is she?"

"Joey _did_ say there was a ninety-six percent chance she won't survive," Morgan reminded them.

Vision shook his head. "I refuse. If she were dead, Jocasta would activate the hologram. The Nova-gram isn't here, therefore Nova isn't dead. I refuse."

Tony released the breath he was holding when, finally, Nova returned.

Natasha dropped to her knees, manually powering off the quantum suit's helmet. "She's not breathing!"

"I told her to take the whole damn tank with her!" Pietro yelled, struggling to pull the trolley over the grass.

Peter picked the thing up and dropped it next to Nova with a clank. Natasha put the oxygen pipe on for Nova and waited, biting down on her lip.

"Come on," Peter whispered under his breath, repeating it like a mantra.

"I brought souvenirs."

"That's it," Tony said when Nova spoke, "that's it. You're no longer an Avenger. I revoke your avenging privileges. You're not allowed to be an Avenger. Shut up, no arguing. When you get home, you are grounded and on Morgan duty."

Nova laughed on the platform. "Oh, it's good to be home."

Morgan grabbed Nova's hands and pulled her to sit up. "What souvenirs did you bring?"

"Just a couple of things across time and space for a few people. My pockets aren't that big. For you, little love, I brought this."

Morgan's eyes widened as Nova held up a necklace with what looked like a glowing pearl. "Pretty. What is it?"

"A shrunken star from Asgard's vault. I visited it moments before Ragnarok completely destroyed Asgard, so no one's going to miss it." Nova tied the necklace around Morgan's neck. "I may have the stars in my head, but you've got one around your neck. Who knows, maybe you'll develop superpowers because of it."

Morgan excitedly ran off to show her mother. Tony gaped at Nova as she stood up -- grunting and groaning as she did. "Tell me you did _not_ give your sister a shrunken star. _Please_."

"Of course not. I'm an idiot, but I'm not stupid. It is from Asgard's vault, though. It's just a glowing orb. Okay, it's a sentient glowing orb. But it activates a nearly impenetrable shield if it senses Morgan is in danger. And not only when Morgan senses danger, _it_ can sense any threats that she might not be aware of. Also, it releases a calming aura if it senses that Morgan's in distress. Bye-bye, post-trauma nightmares."

Tony nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll refresh that mental note not to question you."

Nova smiled. "I have a gift for Mama Nat."

Moving away from Natasha and leaning more on Peter, Nova pulled something from her pocket and tossed it into the air. She aimed her fist at the tiny object and fired something that looked a lot like Hope's blasters. Steve caught Mjolnir and immediately found himself thrown the ground, hand trapped underneath the hammer. Natasha couldn't help the laugh and almost didn't pick the hammer up to let Steve free.

"I visited Norway seconds before my mother destroyed it and replaced it with an illusion. In order for things to happen the way they did, Papa Thor needed to see my mother destroy his hammer. But why let such a powerful item get destroyed when I can intervene? Try not to fight for custody with Thor. I'm not sure a court of law will make to settle the matter."

"You're insane," Natasha concluded.

Nova smiled a dazzling smile. "For my dear brother and sister, Quill and Nebula, I snatched Gamora from between the claws of death."

"You are _very_ insane," Nebula said, holding on to her sister.

"And for the rest of you, I visited Thanos moments before he destroyed the Stones and I stole them all, which is why I'm still alive."

They watched her tiara reform on her head, containing the six Infinity Stones before disappearing once again.

"They're part of me now, which means that I get to stay alive and no one else can take them to use them without me giving them up. If they try to take it by force . . . let's just say I'll go Supernova again."

Peter hugged Nova tight. He wasn't going to make the mistake of letting Nova die without receiving his fair share of hugs.

Bruce sat down heavily. "Hey, Tony, is this what a heart attack feels like? Is this what happens every time Nova says something to you? Oh, God, I'm gonna pass out."

Nova giggled. "Yeah, it's good to be home."

Tony clapped his hands together. "Shawarma, anyone? I could use a shawarma. Let's go get a shawarma. We deserve shawarmas."

"He hasn't had one since 2012," Nova explained to her siblings.

"Ah."

She hung back as everyone followed Tony, talking excitedly over one another. She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself when she noticed Quill break away and pull Gamora with him. The rest of them would spread word that she survived, she could walk as slowly as she liked.

"Can you retire now?" Peter asked. "I swear, if I have to fear that you died one more time, I might just spontaneously explode."

Nova smiled as she took in her surroundings. The forest was peaceful. The lake was calm. The house on the other end looked and sounded lively even from where she stood.

"Yeah, I think I'm done now. I saved the universe. I'll lay off the hero-ing. Who knows, maybe I'll make a full recovery and I won't even need this anyway."

Peter laughed when she kicked the tank and winced slightly. "Regardless, I'll still love you."

Nova stopped throwing glares at the oxygen tank to stare at Peter. "Hey, that's not fair. I was sulking for five years about how I never said that to you and I just haven't had the chance to say it since you got back with all the hellish drama that's been going on. You bastard. You stole my moment."

Peter, who had been a crimson mess a few seconds ago, threw Nova a smirk. "You saved the universe, _mi estrella_. Let me have this."

"Fine," Nova huffed, folding her arms. "I guess I have to say I love you too, huh? So unfair. Sounds so pathetic. I was gonna make an epically embarrassing declaration."

"Oh, I don't mind. You can still do that. It'll go viral. Everyone knows who the Supernova is and that she's the one that brought back all the vanished. I'll have Ned film you if you want."

"Eugh," Nova grumbled, "can't we tell the world the Supernova died on the battlefield? I've had enough adventure to last a few years. I'll just stay on Morgan duty at dad's place. You guys can come visit me on the sly. No one outside the Avengers needs to know I'm still alive."

Peter smiled. "Whatever you want, _mi estrella_. Just as long as we have you alive."

Nova sighed as she and Peter began walking back to the house, dragging the tank along behind her. "I want to throw a party. I haven't celebrated my birthday in years. I haven't celebrated _anything_ in years. What month are we even in? Isn't something festive coming up? Yeah, let's do that. Let's throw a party. Stark style."

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know you're still alive."

"Shut up. I'm undecided. But whatever happens, I'm glad I survived. There's so much I want to see and do. I've travelled across the galaxies. I want to travel the world. Space is beautiful, but Earth is special." Nova smiled and closed her eyes, inhaling the scents of her surroundings. She tilted her head back and let the sunrays dance over her.

Peter smiled at Nova, holding on to her so she didn't fall over. Nova had the balance of a toddler when she walked the school hallways during what seemed like lifetimes ago. Peter wasn't sure she was any better now, especially with her oxygen tank. "Nova?"

"Hm?"

Nova frowned when Peter didn't say anything. She opened her eyes to Peter watching her carefully. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "Just . . . promise me you'll stop dancing with death?"

Nova pouted. "I am physically and mentally incapable of making such a promise. But . . . I suppose I can try."

"Good enough. Hey, I just remembered, I missed five of your birthdays."

"Kiss me and we'll call it even," Nova blurted.

"You're an idiot," Peter chuckled as she blushed the colour of the Reality Stone.

Nova huffed. "Oh yeah? Well, you love this idiot, so that makes you a _double_ idiot!"

"Oh? Well, you love this double idiot, so that makes you a _triple_ idiot. Ha!"

"Shut up," Nova grumbled.

Peter kissed her forehead. "One."

Nova rolled her eyes.

Peter kissed her cheek. "Two."

Nova smiled.

Peter kissed her other cheek. "Three."

Nova let go of the trolley's handle to hang her arms around Peter's shoulders.

Peter kissed the tip of her nose. "Four."

Nova squeaked when Peter wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "Fi--"

"MOM SAYS STOP MAKING OUT IN THE WOODS AND COME EAT LUNCH!"

Nova gave Vision a glare that could've melted him. Peter smiled and leaned his forehead against Nova's. "Let's save number five for the first date, hmm?

" _Fine_. You better take me swinging through the city. I _know_ you're strong enough to carry several of these tanks, so one plus me shouldn't be too heavy."

"Done. Shall we grab a shawarma?"

Nova nodded and grabbed the handle of the trolley.

"Gonna tease the _hell_ out of you," Quill promised as Gamora pulled him past Nova.

"Likewise, brother!"

"MOM SAYS STOP THREATENING YOUR BROTHER AND COME EAT LUNCH!"

Nova sighed. "I'm beginning to rethink some of my choices."

"Come on, _mi estrella_."

As they sat outside on the grass, having a massive picnic, Nova smiled. This was home. She had found her place in the universe and it was with her odd family of humans and aliens -- plus a tree, a trash panda, a semi-human android and _huge_ puppy.

It had taken her twelve years, but she had found it. She wasn't going to lose it for the world, come what may.

Nova Valerie Sigfrid was a princess of Asgard by blood, a princess of Sakaar by appointment, one of two surviving wielders of the six Infinity Stones, the last to have the powers of a Celestial, and a supernova . . . but most importantly, she was Nova, a girl who had finally found her home.

To Nova, everyone was family.

To everyone else, Nova was the farthest thing from a total stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thought I'd end things off the way the story began :)
> 
> Stay tuned, everyone. Supernova _will_ have a bonus chapter.
> 
> I started this the night I saw Endgame. It was only meant to be an Avengers: Assemble fanfiction, but the more I wrote into Valerie, the more she grew into a character who needed more time to be explained. As I read through the book during editing, I realise that Nova _may_ be a Mary Sue, but I still love her and I wouldn't change a thing about her.
> 
> Though this was written when Endgame hit theatres, I'd originally entered it into the Watty's awards and was then prohibited from uploading it to any other website. Due to how long this story has been alive, it's lived through a great deal of criticism and editing -- and may still continue to do so. Point is, Supernova has been edited so much, there are whole scenes that have been scrapped. My question to you is: do you want them uploaded in a separate book as extras/bonuses? Some extras include:  
> -an alternate second meeting for Loki and Nova in Asgard  
> -a scene post Nova's snap that did not contain the Nova-gram  
> -Nova meeting Morgan for the first time  
> -Nebula meeting Morgan for the first time  
> -an alternate reunion between Nova, Tony and PeterP on Titan  
> -Quill meeting (and fanboying over) Captain America/Captain Marvel  
> -Nova's interactions with her family over the years (basically domestic Avengers)  
> -Nova in space during the 5 years  
> -Harley being called Nova's brother officially for the first time / Harley meeting the Ironfam  
> -Capfam interactions  
> -Romanogers  
> -Post reversal reunions  
> -Shuri, Peter, Nova + science screwups  
> -more NovaNed bromance  
> -more Nova + Midtown fam interactions  
> -Peter & Nova  
> -and others, probably
> 
> If this makes a separate book, requests will be considered if given and fit into the Nova-verse
> 
> * * *
> 
> Now, I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you because you are what makes writing worth it. I write for my work to be read, and when I get feedback, it's like being given gold bars. Don't hesitate to drop a comment for me. Sometimes it's all I need to start my day off great. Remember, keyboard smashes are acceptable responses (given that I made you wait really long every time Nova faked her death / almost died)
> 
> now, onwards to the bonus chapter


	35. Bonus Chapter

Nova sat at the table in her Loki-themed pyjamas, a fake lopsided tiara made by Morgan on her head. "No, little love, that would make the canister explode in your face."

Morgan gestured to something else on the little model and Nova nodded. "That's the one."

"You can't seriously be teaching her to diffuse a bomb."

"Auntie Carol!" Morgan cried, abandoning her lesson to run and hug Carol.

"Morgan, wait!"

Forgetting she had been holding on to the manual override, Morgan left the table. The fake bomb exploded with a pop of sparkles. Nova coughed.

"Oh, shit!" Morgan cried, pulling Nova away from the thin smoke.

"Wait, the tan--!"

Carol watched the disaster sisters tumble to the floor and smiled to herself before going over to help. Carefully, she picked Nova up off the floor and let Morgan pull on Nova's arm while she pulled the tank along.

"I'm fine," Nova assured Morgan, who was repeatedly apologising for letting the canister explode in Nova's face. "I'm fine, I just need to sit down."

Carol left the tank on the floor next to couch Morgan guided Nova to. "Still can't breathe right?"

Nova shrugged. "I have my moments." She lifted her head and smiled at the blonde. "What brings you to town, Captain Marvel?"

"You're tangled in your pipe, hold still."

Nova sat still and let Carol unravel the clear pipe. "Thanks. And for the record, Morgan asked me to teach her."

"Why don't you go fetch your tea set?" Carol asked Morgan. "I have enough time for one birthday tea party. Bring your sisters and your mom too."

"Yes!"

Once Morgan was gone, Carol sat down on the other end of the couch, facing Nova. "Happy birthday, your highness."

Nova smiled. "Don't lie, Cap. If you were here for my birthday, you'd have been here two days ago. Come on, spill. What brings you here?"

"Work," Carol said.

"I'm retired, Danvers," she said, shaking her head, "I could barely manage _one_ space trip. Nebula tried to convince me to visit Contraxia with her and Gamora. In the end, I managed to convince her to stay here for my birthday."

"How did you get out of that? Nebula's . . . _persuasive_ when it comes to her sisters."

Nova smiled fondly. "I sicced mom on her. Who else does Nebula fear?"

Carol smiled. "That makes sense. Look, Nova, if I had someone else, I'd be there."

Nova leaned her head against the back of the couch, curling up in the corner. "I want to help you, Carol, I really do. But I _physically_ cannot. Going quantum with that tiny travel pack made my state worse. I can barely go a minute holding my breath. If it weren't for the Stones, I'd be bedridden. I can't go ten seconds without the tank. I'm not a superhero anymore."

Carol shook her head. "You might not be the superhero you once were, but you're still the Supernova. Yes, you are at your weakest point, but with the things you can teach and the experience and knowledge you have, you're the most powerful person I've ever encountered. The universe just keeps getting bigger and bigger and problems here on Earth aren't getting that much less. They need the Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes belong here on Earth. The universe needs something greater than men with gifts and powers. I really do mean it, if I knew a being that would be a better candidate than you, I'd be there. I looked. I spent seven months travelling the known and the unknown and I can't find a better Second-in-Command."

Nova sighed. "Okay, I'll listen and I'll think about it." She smiled, like she was greeting Carol again. "What brings you to town, Cap?"

"I'm here to talk to you about the A-Force initiative."

Nova grinned.


End file.
